Beliefs about attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

Background and objective: This study investigated lay theories about the causes, symptoms and treatments of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Parents, teachers and those with ADHD have widely different, and often inaccurate, beliefs about its symptoms, causes or treatment. The primary aim of the study was to look at the structure of beliefs about ADHD, the relationships between ‘theories’ of cause and cure and individual difference correlates of these beliefs.

Methods: In all 163 British adults took part with a mean age of 28.1 years, just over a third of which claimed to know someone with ADHD. They came from a wide variety of backgrounds. A questionnaire was devised based on various in-depth interviews. Then 163 participants completed the questionnaire, in which they rated 65 statements about causes, symptoms, treatments and general beliefs about ADHD. It was hypothesised that there would be a series of logical correlations between beliefs about cause and treatment.

Results: Factor analysis revealed three basic causal factors labelled psychosocial, biological and environmental. It was found that there were predictable correlations between beliefs about cause and treatments. There were few individual difference correlates of these beliefs indicating consensus.

Conclusions: Despite increasing diagnosis of, popular media attention to, and discussion about ADHD in both adults and children, many adults remain poorly informed about the aetiology or treatment of the disorder.

Keywords:

• lay theories
• attitudes
• cause
• cure
• ADHD