Self-pathologizing, self-condemning, self-liberating: Youths' accounts of their ADHD-related behavior

Abstract

This study analyzes the discursive construction of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and self in relation to a socioculturally shared understanding of moral norms. Thirteen Finnish youth aged 11 to 16 diagnosed with ADHD were interviewed during this discourse analysis study. The youth accounted for their culturally undesirable behavior, performance and traits through three different types of accounts: (1) externalizing personal responsibility due to a compelling medical condition, (2) internalizing personal responsibility through moral self-condemnation, and (3) distancing oneself from the socially imposed stereotypes and stigmas related to ADHD. This study challenges dominant understanding of young people with a diagnosis of ADHD and contributes to our understanding of how ADHD is constructed in their lives.

Dictating the boundaries of ab/normality: a critical discourse analysis of the diagnostic criteria for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and hyperkinetic disorder

“…The characteristics force us to consider what we can learn and how we will respond to children like Alex from the opening of this article, who might play noisily and forgo future rewards in favor of instant gratification (e.g., Graham 2010b). Children and adolescents diagnosed with mental disorders account for their actions, agency, and moral selves in ways that contradict psychiatric literature which defines these disorders (O'Neil 2008;Honkasilta, Vehmas, & Vehkakoski, 2016), and which promotes a clinical focus that often foregrounds their limitations instead of unique capacities (Rapley, 2004). When taken out of the context of a discourse of pathology (e.g., clinical manuals) the actions associated with ADHD/HD hold the potential to serve as an impetus for rethinking entrenched school practices and expanding our capacity to respond to diversity.…”

Involvement in Physical Fights among School Attending Adolescents: A Nationally Representative Sample from Kuwait

“…It is, however, understood that, within the context of adolescent development and behavior, disputes arise that may lead to unintended physical altercations [17,18]. Infrequent misunderstandings or "rough play" are not in and of themselves problematic, but are characteristic of rapid bio-psychological, psycho-social and environmental adjustment as adolescents navigate their way into adulthood [19]. The aim with the above classification lies in avoiding pathologizing adolescent development patterns.…”

Counsellors perceptions of the phenomenon of concentration difficulties

“…The counsellors with a background as psychologists say they refer pupils to BUP (Children’s and Young Person’s Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic) if the pupil falls within the criteria for ADHD. By identifying and delimiting behavioural deficiencies using medical terminology, this may affect teachers’ and parents’ way of perceiving a pupil’s behaviour (Honkasilta et al ., 2016). Researchers (Paju et al ., 2018) argue that one reason why knowledge and awareness of the contradictions within the field may be inadequate is that special needs education includes many professional specialities.…”