Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 27, 2025

Comparing Eye-tracking Data of Children with High-functioning ASD, Comorbid ADHD, and of a Control Watching Social Videos
Published on: December 7, 2018
ADHD and Identity Formation: Adolescents' Experiences From the Healthcare System and Peer Relationships
Matilda A Frick1,2, Anders Brandt1, Sandra Hellund1
1Stockholm University, Sweden.
Objective:
ADHD is often a lifelong condition, and has grown increasingly prevalent over the past few decades. Adolescence is a period characterized by the quest to develop a coherent identity, yet relatively little research has examined the relationship between ADHD diagnosis and identity. The purpose of this study was to explore the importance of experiences of the healthcare system and of peer relationships in the identity formation of adolescents with ADHD.
Method:
This was investigated through semi-structured interviews with 10 adolescents (n = 8 females and 2 males) aged 15 to 18 years. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted within a narrative framework.
Results:
The results revealed seven main themes indicating that ADHD played a central role in the adolescents' self-narratives: (1) limited effect of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) contact on identity formation, (2) the ADHD concept as meaning-making, (3) heterogeneity of the role of medication on identity formation, (4) negotiation of identity in relation to others, (5) varying degrees of acceptance in different relationships, (6) perceiving oneself as a troublemaker, and (7) relationship difficulties.
Conclusions:
Overall, the diagnosis constituted an important narrative and symptoms of ADHD rather than the label of ADHD tended to be stigmatizing. Furthermore, medication affected identity, and some felt pressured to medicate to adhere to social norms. A common pattern was that adolescents set aside their individual identity in favor of their relational identity.
More Related Videos
05:48The Adventures of Fundi Intervention Based on the Cognitive and Emotional Processing in Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Patients
Published on: June 12, 2020
13:09Using Brain Activation nir-HEG/Q-EEG and Execution Measures CPTs in a ADHD Assessment Protocol
Published on: April 1, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth....
Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Adolescence
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings....
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Modeling in Therapy
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in...