Occupational experiences of college students with ADHD: A qualitative study

Abstract

Background

College students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) face difficulties with occupational performance in many functional domains. Despite the broad literature on academic and psychosocial functions, there is a gap in knowledge regarding how these students experience participation in their various daily functions.

Objective

Gaining a deeper understanding of the occupational experiences of college students with ADHD and exploring factors that facilitate or impede their occupational performance.

Method

Twenty college students with ADHD were interviewed using the Occupational Performance History Interview (OPHI-II). Qualitative content analysis was employed.

Results

Six themes were found in relation to varied occupational domains: (1) Eating and meal preparation: Too little or too much; (2) Sleep: Not enough to ‘recharge batteries’; (3) Medication management: Intense ambivalence; (4) Studying: Too hard, too effortful (5) Work: Need it and love it; and (6) Leisure: Desired yet absent. Each theme contained categories related to factors that influenced performance. Impeding factors included occupational demands, ADHD biological attributes, and personal beliefs. Facilitating factors included self-awareness, executive strategies, adaptive routines, and enabling social context.

Conclusions

College students with ADHD experience profound difficulties in occupational performance, yet variation occurs across domains, attributable to occupational, biological, psychological, and social factors. Results can inform tailored interventions supporting occupational performance in this population.

Keywords:

• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• college students
• content analysis
• model of human occupation
• OPHI-II

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Oranim Academic College of Education for supporting this research.

Ethical approval

Ethical approval was obtained from Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2013).

Informed consent

All participants have provided written informed consent to be interviewed.

Author contributions

All three authors have been involved in the concept and design of the study.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and publication of this article.