'Do I need to become someone else?' A qualitative exploratory study into the experiences and needs of adults with ADHD
Open accessAbstract
Background: Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common psychiatric disorder in childhood which has recently been acknowledged to persist into adulthood in two‐thirds of cases. However, the problems faced by adults with ADHD in their daily lives remain largely unexplored. Objective: To assess the perspectives, problems and needs of adults with ADHD. Design and Participants: In this exploratory qualitative study, adults (n = 52) with a primary ADHD or ADD diagnosis, aged 21 years or older, participated in eight focus groups in five cities in the Netherlands. Results: Although core symptoms of ADHD were perceived as a problem, participants placed greater emphasis on social problems that arise from living with ADHD and their subsequent effects on self‐image. Accompanying problems were feelings of powerlessness, lack of acceptance by their social environment and poor self‐image. Adults with ADHD would like to see greater acceptance of ADHD and its accompanying problems, together with appreciation for personal competences and strengths in certain domains, such as creative or associative thinking. Conclusion: Our study adds to previous research by providing insight into how these problems are interrelated and their strong link to the social environment. Perceived powerlessness, failure and negative reactions of the social environment lead to a persistent low self‐image. This merits substantial attention in future research, particularly when considering on‐going care options.
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Adults with ADHD have difficulty modulating their behavior to be socially acceptable.
“have difficulty modulating their behavior to be socially acceptable (Schreuer & Dorot, 2017; Schrevel et al., 2016)”
From The experiences of adults with ADHD in interpersonal relationships and online communities: A qualitative study (2023) · cites this paper as Schrevel et al., 2016
Stigma about the diagnosis of ADHD has been previously described as participants not being taken seriously and ultimately preventing their disclosure of the condition to others.
“Stigma about the diagnosis of ADHD has been previously described as participants not being taken seriously (Lefler et al., 2016; Schrevel et al., 2016; Watters et al., 2018) and ultimately preventing their disclosure of the condition to others (Hansson Halleröd et al., 2015; Toner et al., 2006; Waite & Tran, 2010; Young et al., 2008).”
From The experiences of adults with ADHD in interpersonal relationships and online communities: A qualitative study (2023) · cites this paper as Schrevel et al., 2016
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- Authors
- Schrevel, S. J. C., Dedding, C., van Aken, J. A., & Broerse, J. E. W.
- Affiliations
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
- Athena Institute for Research on Communication and Innovation in Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences VU University Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Corresponding author
- Schrevel, Samuel J. C.
- Venue
- Health Expectations
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2015-01-05
- Volume
- 19
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 39-48
- ISSN
- 1369-6513 (ISSN-L)
- 1369-7625
- PMC
- PMC5055221
- OpenAlex
- W2104745676
- Cited by
- 59
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 3
- FWCI
- 0.81
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Health Expectations (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Pure Amsterdam UMC (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- VU Research Portal (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- Amsterdam UMC (VU Amsterdam) - Institutional Repository (submittedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychology and Mental Health
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Keywords
- adult ADHD, attention deficit disorder, lived experience, social problems, self-image, powerlessness, social acceptance, social environment, personal strengths, continuing care
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Netherlands, Self Concept, Social Environment, Socioeconomic Factors, Qualitative Research
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