Alejandra Alpízar-Velázquez
Independent researcher, Costa Rica
Abstract
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, whose nuclear symptoms constitute inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, the latter may be verbal, motor and cognitive, but also emotional, expressed by emotional dysregulation, which affects a person’s ability to emotionally self-regulate and inhibit emotions. Therefore, the objective of this document is to take a descriptive theoretical approach from different authors about the emotional dysregulation present in the population with ADHD. It is important to review this concept since emotional regulation is one of the Executive Functions that is affected in people with ADHD, causing an impact on the person and their social functioning throughout life. From this review, we concluded that there has been a boom in the study and analysis of this topic in the scientific community during the last decade. This validates the importance of knowledge about and approach to emotional dysregulation in this population, since it provides clinical elements that facilitate differential diagnoses and the identification of comorbidities that this disorder could present. Finally, emotional dysregulation, along with inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, is part of the symptoms that should be considered in the multimodal treatment of ADHD.
Keywords: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Emotional Dysregulation, Executive Functions, Differential Diagnosis, Multimodal Treatment
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