Comparing Working Memory Deficits Across ADHD and Anxiety in Youth: A Preliminary Meta-Analysis
Chadwick International School, 45, Art center-daero 97 beon-gil, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, 22002, South Korea
Abstract
Although attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety disorders are conventionally treated as distinct diagnostic categories, both have been linked to working memory (WM) impairment in children and adolescents, prompting an inquiry into whether the magnitude of WM impairment may be comparable across the two conditions. This preliminary meta-analysis pooled the Hedges’ g effect sizes across six studies (four ADHD studies, two anxiety studies), comparing WM performance in youth with ADHD, clinically diagnosed anxiety, or elevated trait anxiety against comparison groups. A random effects model calculated effect for ADHD (g = 1.12, 95% CI [0.46, 1.78], p < .001) and for anxiety (g=0.69, 95% CI [0.34, 1.05], p<.001); heterogeneity was high for ADHD (I2 = 91.0%) and low for anxiety (I2 = 26.5%). A leave-one-out sensitivity analysis identified one ADHD study (Cockcroft, 2011) as the leading factor, as its exclusion lowered the ADHD estimate to g = 0.80 (95% CI [0.30, 1.29]), a value that converges closer with the anxiety estimate. The results provide support that WM impairment across ADHD and anxiety may reach a comparable magnitude; however, because the anxiety estimate rests on only two studies and the ADHD subgroup shows heterogeneity, the present analysis cannot determine whether these deficits arise from a shared processing mechanism. Future research should prioritize additional pediatric WM-anxiety studies and longitudinal designs.
Keywords
Keywords: working memory; ADHD; anxiety; meta-analysis
Introduction
ADHD and anxiety are usually diagnosed separately, yet both have been linked to working memory impairment in children and adolescents. This preliminary meta-analysis asks whether the size of that impairment is comparable across the two conditions.
Conclusion
The pooled estimates suggest that working memory impairment in ADHD and anxiety may reach a similar magnitude, especially after a sensitivity check. The anxiety evidence rests on few studies, so the analysis cannot yet show whether the deficits share one mechanism.
How to Cite
Koo, Minkyu (Michael). Comparing Working Memory Deficits Across ADHD and Anxiety in Youth: A Preliminary Meta-Analysis. Journal of Youth Impact. September 2026; 1(Issue 3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.66245/jyi.v1.i3.009