Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms and perceived mental health discrimination in adults in the general population

Abstract

Background:The experience of discrimination is common in individuals with mental health problems and has been associated with a range of negative outcomes. As yet, however, there has been an absence of research on this phenomenon in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The current study examined the association between ADHD symptoms and mental health discrimination in the general adult population.Methods:The analytic sample comprised 7274 individuals aged 18 and above residing in private households in England that were drawn from the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, 2007. Information on ADHD was obtained with the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) Screener. A single-item question was used to assess mental health discrimination experienced in the previous 12 months. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine associations.Results:The prevalence of discrimination increased as ADHD symptoms increased but was especially elevated in those with the most severe ADHD symptoms (ASRS score 18–24). In a multivariable logistic regression analysis that was adjusted for a variety of covariates including common mental disorders, ADHD symptoms (ASRS ≥ 14) were associated with almost 3 times higher odds for experiencing mental health discrimination (odds ratio: 2.81, 95% confidence interval: 1.49–5.31).Conclusion:ADHD symptoms are associated with higher odds for experiencing mental health discrimination and this association is especially elevated in those with the most severe ADHD symptoms. Interventions to inform the general public about ADHD may be important for reducing the stigma and discrimination associated with this disorder in adults.

Stigma toward individuals with mental disorders among Brazilian psychiatrists: a latent class analysis

“… 19 Individuals with ADHD, on the other hand, present with deficits in attention and hyperactivity-impulsivity and may also present impairment in working memory and inhibitory control. 20 Although some studies have addressed stigma toward ADHD, 21 , 22 it has received far less attention than the stigma surrounding psychotic and affective disorders. 22 …”

“… 20 Although some studies have addressed stigma toward ADHD, 21 , 22 it has received far less attention than the stigma surrounding psychotic and affective disorders. 22 …”

Revisão sistemática sobre o impacto social e de saúde da violência doméstica para os adolescentes

“…Tais agravos podem apresentar sintomas que envolvem momentos de indecisão, procrastinação, má gestão do tempo e consequentemente dificuldades motivacionais podendo inteferir negativamente na vida cotidiana 43 , e, na qualidade das interações, e, pode sobrepor outros problemas de mesma ordem por alterar o desenvolvimento de outros comportamentos 44 , como, por exemplo, problemas de aprendizagem e de percepção de saúde 45 .…”

Bidirectional associations between maladaptive cognitions and emotional symptoms, and their mediating role on the quality of life in adults with ADHD: a mediation model

“…Moreover, ongoing negative feedbacks can also reinforce negative emotions and dysfunctional beliefs, which consequently lead to a vicious cycle (21,31,32). As a result, ADHD patients often endure stigmatization (79,80), violence exposure (81), mental health discrimination (82), and face problems in their education, work, family and social lives (83), which might lead to poor life satisfaction and emotional problems (84,85). A study in college ADHD students found that negative self-concept and depression fully mediated the association between past academic functioning and self-reported overall functioning at follow-up (86), further verifying the important precursor role of negative self-concept in emotional symptoms in adults with ADHD, which itself originated from the experience of living with ADHD.…”