The combined ADHD profile faces the greatest risk of delay, depletion and disengagement in university students

TL;DR

University students with combined ADHD symptoms face higher risks of academic delays and disengagement compared to other ADHD profiles.

Contribution

This study identifies distinct ADHD profiles and their unique associations with self-regulation outcomes in university students.

Findings

The Combined ADHD group showed the highest maladaptive procrastination and ego depletion.

Hyperactive-Impulsive and Low-symptom groups reported the highest adaptive procrastination scores.

Adaptive procrastination may act as a protective strategy for certain ADHD profiles.

Abstract

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms are increasingly recognized in adulthood, particularly among university students, yet their distinct psychological correlates remain underexplored. Using a cross-sectional design, this study examined Hungarian college students (N = 1,879, aged between 18 and 35 years) who responded online to a set of questionnaires that included the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, Procrastination Scale, Higher Education Retention Scale and Ego-Depletion Scale. We applied k-means cluster analysis to classify students into four ADHD-related groups (Combined, Inattentive, Hyperactive-Impulsive, Low-symptom) based on symptom criteria. Consequently, we compared these clusters across six theoretically relevant self-regulatory outcomes: maladaptive and adaptive procrastination, maladaptive and adaptive perfectionism, ego depletion and dropout intention. A multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), controlling for age and biological sex, revealed significant differences among ADHD clusters on all outcomes. While the Combined group reported the highest levels of maladaptive procrastination and ego depletion, the Hyperactive-Impulsive and Low-symptom groups reported the highest adaptive procrastination scores. These findings suggest that adaptive procrastination may serve as a protective or compensatory strategy in students with certain ADHD profiles, offering constructive reconceptualization of functional delay and self-regulation in academic contexts.