The ADHD Factor: How School Events Are Quietly Harming Your Teen’s Mental Health
While sipping my morning coffee and nerding out on the latest ADHD research, I came across a recent study entitled Emotional Burden in School as a Source of Mental Health Challenges in ADHD and Autism (July 24, 2025) published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry that sheds new light on something many of us who coach or live with ADHD and/or autism have long understood intuitively: school can be a significant source of emotional burden for neurodivergent students — and that burden directly impacts mental health.
Unsurprisingly, the results confirmed that teens with ADHD and/or autism reported a higher frequency of upsetting events — and reacted to those events with greater emotional intensity — than neurotypical students.
What Does Emotional Burden Look Like?
Neurodivergent individuals experience more frequent daily stressors, hassles, and negative events, and often have stronger emotional reactions to them. These experiences have a direct impact on mental health. The study defined emotional burden as the product of the frequency of emotionally upsetting events and the intensity of the emotional response they felt to the events.
Researchers hypothesized — and the data supported — that school-related emotional burden plays a key role in affecting depression and anxiety among neurodivergent teens.
Here’s what stood out in the findings:
For Autistic Teens, top emotional burdens included:
Peers talking behind their backs
Unexpectedly waiting in a queue
Sensory discomfort
Being rushed to finish work
Difficulty understanding others
For ADHD Teens, the most burdensome experiences were:
Teachers not listening
Boring lessons or tasks
Being interrupted during enjoyable activities
Being told to "try harder"
Now here’s where I’d like to bring you in…
Let’s Pause and Reflect
What thoughts or feelings does this list bring up for you?
If you have ADHD (or support someone who does), does anything on that list feel… familiar?
“Being told to try harder” — does that ring a bell?
Many of us have been on the receiving end of that comment, often from well-meaning adults who didn't understand how hard we were already trying. Over time, those kinds of remarks can create shame, self-doubt, or burnout. They can shape how we see ourselves, even into adulthood.
If no one named these experiences for you back then — let me say it now:
You weren’t lazy. You were misunderstood. You were unsupported.
Why This Matters
This study reinforces a truth that needs more recognition in schools, families, and clinical settings: emotional experiences in learning environments are not just background noise — they’re central to mental health.
So what can we do?
As ADHD coaches, educators, or parents, we can:
Validate these emotional burdens — not dismiss them.
Recognize the effort, not just the outcome - just because you don’t see the work does not mean it’s not happening internally.
Support their cooping strategies, even if it looks unconventional to you.
Support emotional regulation skills, especially around common school triggers.
Advocate for environments that reduce harm, rather than placing the burden of change solely on the student.
If you’re an adult with ADHD reading this, know that recognizing the emotional load you carried in school isn't about blaming the past — it's about understanding its impact so you can heal, support others, and move forward with greater compassion for yourself.
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
What school experiences shaped you most?
How do you see emotional burden showing up in your life today?
Drop a comment on social media or reach out— I’d love to hear your story.
—
Nathalie, ADHD Coach
Forward Focused ADHD Coaching