1. Bi S, Li H, Xu X, Li L. Sex-Specific Effects of Relative Fat Mass on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Insights from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2026: 10445463261416680.

BACKGROUND: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder in childhood. Conventional adiposity indicators have been linked to ADHD. Relative fat mass (RFM), a novel adiposity measure, has demonstrated advantages in predicting metabolic and cardiovascular disease risk, conditions that share overlapping pathophysiological mechanisms with ADHD. This study aimed to investigate the association between RFM and ADHD, with a particular focus on sex-specific differences. METHODS: Data were obtained from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, including 5089 children aged 6-14 years. RFM was calculated using height and waist circumference, and ADHD was defined based on physician diagnosis reported in the questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression models were applied to assess the association between RFM and ADHD. Smooth curve fitting was conducted to validate the results, and subgroup analyses were performed separately for boys and girls. RESULTS: A significant sex-specific association between RFM and ADHD was observed. Among boys, higher RFM levels were inversely associated with ADHD (Model 3: odds ratio [OR] = 0.967, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.946-0.989), whereas among girls, higher RFM levels were positively associated with ADHD (Model 3: OR = 1.043, 95% CI: 1.007-1.081). Smooth curve fitting confirmed these opposite linear trends in both sexes. Subgroup analyses further demonstrated that this sex-specific pattern was consistent across strata defined by age, health insurance status, maternal smoking during pregnancy, and birth weight. CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant sex-specific association between RFM and ADHD, showing an inverse relationship in boys and a positive association in girls. These findings suggest that the influence of adiposity distribution on ADHD differs by sex, highlighting the importance of considering sex differences when evaluating risk factors for ADHD.

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2. Carr BR. Fielded Attention: Reframing ADHD Through a Relational Ontology of Context. J Atten Disord. 2026: 10870547261416163.

BACKGROUND: Since DSM-5, ADHD has been classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder, and this placement has often reinforced dominant models that emphasize neurobiological mechanisms-treating attention as an internal trait shaped by executive dysfunction or dopaminergic imbalance. While these frameworks offer valuable insights, they often marginalize the ecological, relational, and sociomaterial contexts in which attention arises or collapses. Context is too often treated as background rather than condition. OBJECTIVE: This paper proposes a field-based reconceptualization of attention: a relational ontology in which patterns of behavior and experience gathered under the ADHD diagnosis are not solely located within the individual but emerge from dynamic tension between organism and environment. METHODS: Drawing from ecological psychology, dynamic systems theory, and phenomenological psychiatry, we develop the notion of fielded attention-a model in which attention is not a fixed trait but a modulation shaped by rhythm, affordance, and environmental curvature. We conduct a conceptual analysis in three stages: (1) critique of trait-based diagnostic frameworks that statistically neutralize context; (2) elaboration of a field ontology of attention that reframes breakdowns as ruptures in relational coherence; and (3) derivation of translational implications for research and care design. RESULTS: The analysis identifies an epistemic shift in which environmental and social structures are often flattened into reductionist risk factors, and heterogeneity in ADHD symptom expression is reframed as field sensitivity-a signal of developmental plasticity rather than diagnostic noise. Translational implications include the design of learning and care environments (including architectural and temporal structure) and adoption of field-sensitive research methods such as ecological momentary assessment and spatial diaries. CONCLUSIONS: Rather than reject biological models, this framework resituates them within broader ecologies of modulation. By repositioning context as ontologically central, fielded attention advances a more ethically responsive and developmentally situated account of ADHD.

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3. Derin S, Selman SB, Ergun AF, Ecer-Ergun T. Indirect and Conditional Associations Between ADHD and Risky Internet Use in Elementary School Children With Parent-child Conflict and Maternal Childhood Trauma. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol. 2026; 54(1): 17.

Prior work links Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with risky internet use (RIU), yet the family and intergenerational processes that might underlie this association remain uncertain. This study examined whether the ADHD-RIU association was statistically accounted for by parent-child conflict and whether maternal childhood trauma moderated these associations. The sample comprised 120 children aged 6-12 years (58% boys, M = 8.73, SD = 1.80), including 60 with a first-time ADHD diagnosis and 60 controls. Standardized parent- and self-report measures were used to assess RIU, parent-child conflict, and maternal childhood trauma. A dual first- and second-stage moderated mediation model (PROCESS Model 58) tested whether the ADHD-RIU association was linked to parent-child conflict and whether maternal trauma moderated both the ADHD-conflict and conflict-RIU associations. Analyses statistically controlled for child sex, age, parental education, and maternal depression and anxiety. ADHD status was significantly associated with parent-child conflict (0.75, 95% CI [0.42, 1.08]), which was significantly associated with RIU (0.42, 95% CI [0.22, 0.62]). Conditional indirect associations via conflict at low (-1 SD), mean, and high (+ 1 SD) levels of maternal childhood trauma were 0.17, 0.31, and 0.49, respectively, indicating a stronger association at higher trauma levels, while no significant direct ADHD-RIU association remained after accounting for conflict. Findings suggest that the ADHD-RIU link was largely shared with parent-child conflict, and this shared association was more pronounced when mothers reported higher trauma histories. These findings highlight potential relevance for trauma-informed, family-focused approaches that address conflict when considering RIU in children with ADHD.

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4. Fahira A, Li Z, Liu N, Shi Y. Corrigendum to « Prediction of causal genes and gene expression analysis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in the different brain region, a comprehensive integrative analysis of ADHD » [Behav. Brain Res., 364 (2019) 183-192. Behav Brain Res. 2026: 116056.

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5. Hill MJ, Flora SM, Knowlden AP, Mahabee-Gittens EM, Merianos AL. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and short sleep duration among U.S. school-aged children. Sleep Health. 2026.

OBJECTIVES: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been linked to sleep disturbances. There is little evidence of this association among a nationally representative sample of school-aged children. This study explored the association between current ADHD diagnosis and short sleep duration among U.S. school-aged children. Parent-reported severity of ADHD and short sleep duration among those with a current ADHD diagnosis was also assessed. METHODS: A secondary analysis of 2020-2021 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) data including 26,148 U.S. children ages 6-11 years was performed. Sleep duration was categorized using the National Sleep Foundation’s age-specific recommendations defining <9 hours as short sleep duration. Weighted unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models were performed. The adjusted models included child age, sex, race/ethnicity, health status, overweight status, screen time, physical activity, parent education, family structure, and federal poverty level. RESULTS: Nearly 10% of children currently had an ADHD diagnosis, with 62% having moderate or severe ADHD. Over one-third (35%) had reports of short sleep duration. Unadjusted (odds ratio [OR] = 1.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.35-1.84) and adjusted (adjusted OR [AOR] = 1.25, 95%CI = 1.06-1.47) results indicated that children with ADHD were at increased odds of having short sleep duration compared to children without ADHD. Among children with ADHD only, unadjusted (OR = 1.70, 95%CI = 1.26-2.31) and adjusted (AOR = 1.61, 95%CI = 1.19-2.19) results indicated that children with a moderate or severe diagnosis were at increased odds of having short sleep duration than children with a mild diagnosis. CONCLUSION: ADHD may influence short sleep duration among U.S. school-aged children. Behavioral sleep treatments should aim toward improving sleep duration among this population.

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6. Lukito S, Li L, Chandler S, Kakoulidou M, Pavlopoulou G, Matejko M, Jackson I, Balwani B, Boyens T, Poulton D, Harvey-Nguyen L, Johnson A, Stahl D, Roberts A, Sonuga-Barke EJS. Comparing qualitative thematic analysis and machine-based topic modelling in the analysis of autistic and ADHD young people’s accounts of emotions. Sci Rep. 2026.

Systematic analysis of interview data can provide important insights into how young people experience and interpret their emotions. Both human-led qualitative (e.g., thematic analysis) and machine-driven quantitative (e.g., natural language processing [NLP]) analytical approaches are available, but their solutions are rarely compared. Interview responses by 57 neurodivergent adolescents to questions about their emotions, previously analysed using reflexive thematic analysis (RTA), were submitted to Topic Modelling (TM). Topic labels were developed in collaboration with neurodivergent co-researchers to ground their meaning in the lived experience of neurodivergent communities. Topics were mapped to RTA themes or subthemes to examine their proximities. Topic-based cluster analysis was used to identify participant groupings with similar topic distributions. TM revealed 10 interpretable and meaningful emotion-related topics – some closely overlapping with and others differing from the RTA themes. TM topics differentiated the young people’s emotional experiences at school from those in other settings. TM and RTA resulted in overlapping and different insights into the meaning of neurodivergent young people’s accounts of their emotions. Our findings demonstrate the potential use of TM in interview analysis and might suggest a potential complementarity between the TM topics and RTA themes, to be further explored using more advanced algorithms and a more sophisticated NLP implementation.

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7. Ozluk P, Romine J, Sylwestrzak G, Hamad R. Effect of School Reopenings on Children’s Mental Health During COVID-19: Quasi-experimental Evidence from California. Epidemiology. 2026; 37(2): 257-67.

BACKGROUND: School closures during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic disrupted children’s education, socialization, and access to mental health resources, raising concerns about long-term effects on childrens’ mental health. The objective was to evaluate the impacts of pandemic-era school reopenings on children’s mental health and healthcare expenditures. Variation in the timing of school reopenings created a unique quasi-experiment. METHODS: We used difference-in-differences analysis to examine how staggered implementation of school reopenings affected diagnoses with depression, anxiety, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and related healthcare spending among school-aged children during March 2020-June 2021 across 24 California counties. Data were drawn from medical claims from the second largest private health insurer in the state (N = 185,735). RESULTS: School reopening was associated with a 1.2%-point drop in monthly prevalence of mental health diagnoses [95% confidence interval (CI) = -1.59, -0.74], and a 10.6% (95% CI = -13.4%, -7.8%) drop in related healthcare spending. The mental health conditions that saw the largest differential between in-person and remote school districts were anxiety and depression. Effects were strongest among girls. CONCLUSIONS: In-person learning is an important component of children’s mental health. These results are informative for future policymaking during public health crises, to balance infection risk with the need for socialization and other critical resources that schools provide to children.

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8. Shi B, Mou H, Chen Z, He C, Zhang M, Zhang Z, Zheng H, Wang J, Quan M. Independent and joint associations of physical activity and sleep with ADHD in a population-based sample of children: A cross-sectional study. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2026; 99: 119-28.

BACKGROUND: This study examines the independent and joint associations of physical activity (PA) and sleep with ADHD prevalence and severity. METHODS: Data from the 2016-2023 National Survey of Children’s Health were used in this population-based, cross-sectional study. All measures were parent-reported. PA was categorized by weekly guideline-meeting days (≥60 min/day). Sleep duration, regularity, and ADHD severity were classified as short/optimal/long (age-specific), four-level, and three-level, respectively. Weighted multivariable logistic and ordinal regression models were used to examine the associations of PA and sleep with ADHD prevalence and severity. RESULTS: This study analyzed 98,182 adolescents aged 13-17, including 13,258 with ADHD. PA, sleep duration, and sleep regularity were independently associated with ADHD (all P < 0.05). Significant interactions between PA and sleep duration/regularity were observed for ADHD prevalence (P < 0.05), but not for ADHD severity. Compared to children with long sleep and 0 weekly PA days, those with optimal sleep and ≥ 1 weekly PA days had lower ADHD odds, with the lowest in the "optimal sleep and daily PA" group (OR = 0.32, 95% CI:0.21-0.51). Better sleep regularity plus more PA-meeting weekly days was linked to lower ADHD odds, with the lowest in the "always regular sleep and daily PA" group (OR = 0.25, 95% CI:0.18-0.36). CONCLUSION: Even occasional engagement in regular PA was associated with lower odds of ADHD in children. Improving sleep regularity is as important as ensuring optimal sleep duration. Combining sufficient PA with healthy sleep habits showed the strongest association, underscoring the value of an integrated lifestyle approach to understanding childhood health risks.

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9. Toksoy ZE, Ekinci O, Gamli IS, Karakuş OB, Kocabas S, Adak I. Metacognitive Deficits in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Insights From Adolescents and Their Parents. J Clin Psychol. 2026.

OBJECTIVE: Metacognition refers to the awareness and regulation of one’s cognitive processes, including self-monitoring, planning, and controlling thoughts. In individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), although research is limited, deficits in metacognitive skills are commonly observed, which contribute to difficulties in attention, task completion, and self-regulation. The aim of this study is to identify metacognitive characteristics in adolescents diagnosed with ADHD and to explore the relationship between these characteristics and the metacognitions of their parents. METHODS: The study included 107 adolescents, aged 12-18 years, who were newly diagnosed with ADHD, as well as 100 healthy control participants. A sociodemographic form, The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Aged Children-Present and Lifetime version for DSM-5 (K-SADS-PL DSM-5), Metacognitions Questionnaire for Children (MCQ-C) were applied, while their parents completed the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), Turgay DSM-IV Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale Form (T-DSM-IV-S) and the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale for DSM-5 (ASRS-5). Based on ASRS-5 scores, parents were categorized into two groups: those at increased risk of ADHD (ASRS ≥ 14) and those at low risk of ADHD (ASRS < 14). Group differences were examined using multivariate analyses (MANCOVA/MANOVA), while associations between adolescent and parental variables were assessed using correlation analyses. RESULTS: In adolescents with ADHD, scores on the negative meta-worry, superstitious, punishment and responsibility beliefs and cognitive monitoring subscales -as well as the MCQ-C total score- were significantly higher compared to the control group, while no difference was found for positive meta-worry, regardless of subtype. On the parental MCQ-30, all subscale and total scores were significantly higher in the ADHD group. Parents categorized as being at increased risk of ADHD had significantly higher MCQ-30 total scores compared to those at low risk. Furthermore, the severity of ADHD symptoms in adolescents, particularly inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity, was positively and weakly correlated with the MCQ-C total score. In addition, a weak negative correlation was observed between adolescents' positive meta-worry and parents' cognitive confidence. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that metacognitive impairment is prevalent among adolescents with ADHD and their parents. Enhancing metacognitive awareness in individuals with ADHD may facilitate their adaptation to treatment and preparedness for alternative forms of therapeutic intervention.

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