The Influence of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity on Career Immaturity among Adolescents: Focusing on the Moderated Mediating Effect of Anxiety by Household Economic Status

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to verify the influence of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity (ADH) on career immaturity among adolescents, the mediating effect of anxiety, and the moderated mediating effect of anxiety by household economic status. This study conducted regression analyses using raw data from the Korean Teenagers’ Mental Health Study and the PROCESS Macro method. First, the results showed that adolescents’ ADH positively and significantly influenced career immaturity. Second, anxiety had a partial mediating effect, such that the level of ADH increased anxiety, which, in turn, increased career immaturity. Third, the mediating effect of anxiety was moderated by household economic status: the mediating effect of ADH on career immaturity through anxiety was more pronounced for those of low household economic status than for those of medium and high household economic status. Based on the analyzed results of this study, we discuss strategies for promoting career maturity among adolescents through dealing with their ADH.