ADHD Presentation to Adolescent Patients and Influence on Understanding, Acceptance and Ownership

Abstract

With the prevalence of ADHD in the adolescent age group and a lack of current medical literature regarding this disorder, there was increasing significance to explore the way this diagnosis affected adolescents. Further, it was necessary to explore how the way this diagnosis was presented affected the way adolescents perceived the diagnosis. Researchers had previously established the critical period in which ADHD is most commonly diagnosed, and in a study published in 2016 key symptoms displayed by ADHD patients were identified. Still, a highly significant gap remained in the literature concerning pediatrician presentation methods and patient perception based on the way these methods were utilized. This study seeks to fill that gap through a two-part method study of pediatrician diagnosis discussion methods and patient/parent preferences for those methods. It further analyzes which method promotes acceptance, understanding, and ownership of ADHD and how parental presence affects those aspects of patient perception. It was found that there were major discrepancies between patient, parent, and physician preferences for diagnosis discussion procedures depending on the varying aspects of patient perception (understanding, acceptance, ownership). This study points to the significance of further research to explore how reduce these discrepancies and promote better physician-patient relationships.