ERIC Number: EJ822481
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1087-0547
EISSN: N/A
A Phenomenological Analysis of the Experience of Receiving a Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD in Adulthood: A Partner's Perspective
Young, Susan; Gray, Katie; Bramham, Jessica
Journal of Attention Disorders, v12 n4 p299-307 2009
Objectives: The objectives are to explore the experience of living with a person who has undergone a process of diagnosis in his or her adult years and to examine, from the partner's perspective, how diagnosis and treatment with medication affects the ADHD patients' understanding of themselves, their behavior, and their relationships with others. Method: Participants were the partners of eight patients who had been diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood. Semistructured interviews were conducted, and the data were analyzed according to interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results: Three master themes emerged from the analysis: perceptions of inadequacy of the ADHD partner, emotional impact of diagnosis, and medication not a panacea. Conclusion: Results indicate a need for psychological treatment to be provided to clients following diagnosis. Information leaflets for partners will also help partners' ability to facilitate their own knowledge and understanding, which in turn will help them better support their AD/HD partners.
Descriptors: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Disability Identification, Clinical Diagnosis, Adults, Drug Therapy, Self Concept, Social Behavior, Interpersonal Relationship, Interpersonal Competence, Interviews, Phenomenology, Emotional Response, Psychological Patterns, Counseling, Spouses, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom (London)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A