Defense Date
2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Jared Keeley
Second Advisor
Scott Vrana
Third Advisor
Bridget McInnes
Fourth Advisor
Dace Svikis
Fifth Advisor
Bryce McLeod
Abstract
Compared to the amount of research conducted on how to identify and understand children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), there has been relatively little work done to understand the lived experiences of adults with ADHD. Increased understanding of how adults with ADHD conceptualize themselves in the context of their diagnosis would help clinical experts tailor research and treatments to better serve these communities. However, there are several barriers towards conducting high-quality qualitative research, including time- and labor-intensity. This study, informed by qualitative research traditions, used innovative data sources (i.e., social media) and analytic techniques (i.e., machine learning) to reduce these barriers to research and open a window to understand how adults identifying with ADHD talk about their lived experiences. The results of the analysis were compared to the conceptualization of ADHD found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Edition (DSM-5) and in a seminal handbook geared towards clinicians. Twenty-three unique themes were identified, which addressed a variety of topics including primarily inattentive-related symptoms, interpersonal-related concerns, topics related to medication, and topics related to broader systems and formal supports. There was moderate agreement between the identified themes and the DSM-5 and high agreement between the identified themes and the gold standard treatment manual.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
5-6-2024