Childrenʼs Accounts of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract

As a postmodern illness, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is embedded in controversy, reflective of the cultural times in which we live. Within this debate, 2 perspectives, ADHD as myth and ADHD as behavioral disorder, are most frequently voiced. This article describes these 2 differing perspectives and reports qualitative data from 39 children and adolescents with a diagnosis of ADHD regarding their perceptions, meanings,and experiences of living with this disorder. None of the participants in this study denied that they had difficulties and many of the difficulties they described corresponded to DSM-IV-R criteria and the scientific literature. Given these discoveries, the continual debate about the authenticity of ADHD only further victimizes families who are in desperate need of services.

Understanding the Distracted and the Disinhibited: Experiences of Adolescents Diagnosed with ADHD Within the South African Context

“…These results are consistent with previous empirical study in which the pills were seen to have positive outcomes (Kendall et al, 2003).…”

“…Not only were these adolescents disruptive to their own learning, but to other learners as well, due to their inability remain seated. The current findings also mirror the results conducted in western countries in which the theme 'problems' emerged as the dominant theme and it comprised learning, cognitive and behavioral problems (Kendall et al, 2003).…”

“…Although a large body of research on ADHD has been conducted largely in developed countries in Euro-Western countries, only two studies (Kendall, Hatton, Beckett & Leo, 2003;Krueger & Kendall, 2001) were conducted in the United States which explored the experiences of adolescents with ADHD, in order to uncover how they perceive and manage ADHD. Krueger and Kendall (2001) conducted a qualitative study on a sample of 11 adolescents with age ranges of 13 to 19, who have been diagnosed with the ADHD for at least two years.…”

“…In another study, Kendall et al (2003) further explored children's and adolescents' accounts of their experiences with ADHD. In-depth interviews were conducted with a sample of 39 children (67% boys; 38% African-American, 33% Hispanic, 23% Caucasian) with an age range of 6 to 17 years.…”

Causal accounts as a consequential device in categorizing mental health and substance abuse problems

“…There is also a wide range of studies concerning people's beliefs and explanations about the causes of illnesses and illness management (Kleinman et al 1978;Furnham and Malik 1994;Gill 1998;Kendall 2003 et al;Gill and Maynard 2006;Lawton et al 2007;Webb 2009;Saunders 2011). Accounts for causes of illnesses and symptoms have also been studied in health care settings as they occur in patient-professional interaction (Gill 1998;Gill and Maynard 2006;Heritage and Maynard 2006;Peräkylä 2006;Webb 2009).…”