Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD, has been a widely known national debate for several decades. ADHD hosts many different symptoms, depending on the person, such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, and trouble focusing. Alongside the media, many different groups of people have portrayed this disorder in many ways, both positively and negatively. These groups include parents, teachers, doctors, and even cases of self-diagnoses led to an increase in ADHD testing among children and adults. My research question is “What are the stereotypes surrounding ADHD and how are they portrayed in today’s society?” ADHD stereotypes are routed in many parts of our day to day lives, such as in the medical field, the media, and in households among friends and family members.

ADHD is an important topic to gain knowledge about because it affects many children and adults, and is notorious for housing many different stereotypes. Mental Disorders are explained about and used to diagnose people with these problems in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-Version 5). Even though ADHD/ADD is in the DSM-5, many people still choose to believe that it is over diagnosed, that it is not a true “disorder”, and that the stereotypes about it are true. The ADHD Explosion book by Hinshaw and Scheffler reiterates the facts that ADHD is very real and severely affects many people’s daily lives in both positive and negative ways, so it still has a lot of significance, despite what critics and disbelievers spread about ADHD.

The article from the National Institute of Mental Health and the TedTalk by Stephen Tonti about his experience with ADHD as a kid both sum up the idea that ADHD is very real and is more of a cognition imbalance than a disorder. This means that both see ADHD as more of a neurological problem in the brain, like a chemical imbalance, instead of a full blown mental disorder, regardless of what the DSM-5 states. Both sources give a good visual of what ADHD is in a biological perspective in that they go deeper than what most people know about the physical aspects of what makes a person be considered someone with ADHD. Also, the National Institute of Mental Health article mentions the main differences between ADHD and ADD, which is mainly just the hyperactivity part of ADHD, but for the sake of my project, we will consider both ADD and ADHD virtually the same. Many common ideas of what ADHD is described to be are mentioned in the article titled “Stigma in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” such as how teachers and parents regard the side effects of medicine as it “not working” when in actuality, it does not “cure” ADHD as many people believe, medicine specifically gives people with ADHD the choice in their actions. The National Institute of Mental Health article explaining what ADHD is and how is categorized mentions that “While there is no cure for ADHD, currently available treatments can help reduce symptoms and improve functioning. Treatments include medication, psychotherapy, education or training, or a combination of treatments” (NIMH). The stigmas article also refers to the problems that occur when people consider ADHD as socially unacceptable; these problems include causing people with ADHD to refuse therapy and not building support systems around themselves made up of people who help them cope with their disorder. Other problems that branch out from social nonacceptance include people with ADHD feeling different from their peers and have overall lower self-esteem, all which is explained in the “Stigma in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” article. 

The five major categories of stereotypes that I will elaborate on are the biological background of ADHD, medications, parental roles in diagnoses, other types of diagnoses, and finally the overall stigmas about ADHD, such as the social, physical, emotional, and mental aspects of ADHD. Each category holds subcategories that will elaborate more on each kind of stereotype. 

The first major stereotype category is the medical background of ADHD, meaning the actual biological part of ADHD houses many different stereotypes that have been spread for decades. One argument about ADHD is made by Stephen Tonti in his TEDTalk entitled ADHD As a Difference in Cognition, Not a Disorder: Stephen Tonti at TEDxCMU is that it should be viewed through a “social construct lens where ADHD is considered a biological issue rather than a social one by parents and teachers” (TEDTalk, 0:44-1:05). Many teachers stereotype children who misbehave as “ADHD”, specifically when they are hyperactive and have the inability to focus, two of the major symptoms for ADHD. It is better seen as a chemical imbalance in the brain than a mental disorder, which is a new construct that many people in the ADHD community are trying to push for. Another myth about the biology of this disorder is that it is the same in every person. A person cannot have “more ADHD” than another, but it can be more severe in that person because it is measured by how many symptoms they are perceived to possess along with how severely these symptoms affect their daily lives. Also, the biology workup of ADD and ADHD are so similar that there is a divide in the ADHD community on if doctors and specialists should consider both in the same way or if they should still be kept separate from each other. For the opinions of this paper, let’s assume they are the same.

The second major stereotype category mentioned is myths about ADHD medications as a whole. There are many known and not well-known prejudices that the majority of the population has against this medication. Specifically, the medication used to treat symptoms is a combination of amphetamines, and is called a stimulant because these medicines stimulate the release of chemicals in the brain called dopamine and norepinephrine, which play essential roles in attention and thinking. According to the book by Hinshaw and Scheffler and the stigma article by Mueller, both sources reference these types of stereotypes in the sense that there is a worldwide issue against the prescriptions of these medications. One of the issues mentioned in the stigma article is that there is a “…stigma in the context of children’s noncompliance to stimulant drug treatment” and that these children feel “…different from peers…” (Mueller). On top of that, these prejudices toward ADHD medications increase patients’ noncompliance to therapy and their willingness to share their diagnoses and struggles with friends and/or family members, which would make up their potential support systems. This is the cause of many children and adults with self-esteem issues and intolerance to other forms of medications apart from pills, such as therapy. More stigmas mentioned in the stigma article also show that people truly believe in the fact that ADHD medications change people’s personalities, lead to addiction, and that other side effects and major mental problems such as depression will occur (Mueller). All of these claims are disproven by clinical studies and are only spread through the ignorance of others. 

The third major stereotype category that I will elaborate on is parental roles within their children’s diagnoses of ADHD. One stereotype about ADHD diagnoses in children is that their parents are more disposed to assuming their children have ADHD, even when they do not because they assume their kids’ natural hyperactivity is the problem and that ADHD medication will help them think and act better. These theories are backed up by what parents think of as solid evidence, even though most of their “evidence” is portrayed in the media. Actual experiments have been completed to support this theory, similar to the write ups in the peer-reviewed journals titled “The worldwide prevalence of ADHD: A systematic review and metaregression analysis” and “Evaluating parental disagreement in ADHD diagnosis: Can we rely on a single report from home?” These specific experiments studied the effect of parents’ predisposition to their child being diagnosed with ADHD. The first article states that “The purpose of this study was to determine the possible causes of the varied worldwide estimates of the disorder and to compute its worldwide-pooled prevalence” (Polanczyk). The experimenters found through the results that parents were very disposed to the idea that their children have ADHD, even when it was obvious that they do not. The results found in the second article states that “Our findings suggest a significant cross-informant disagreement between parents on symptoms of ADHD. Discrepant parental education has a relevant role in explaining parental disagreement in reporting ADHD symptoms” (Caye). According to Hinshaw and Scheffler in their book, The ADHD Explosion, he asks questions such as “What is driving the current ADHD explosion–is it parents, doctors, schools, culture, the healthcare system, or Big Pharma? And will it end?” (Hinshaw). Both authors’ goal is to figure out where the chain of events that seem to rise levels of diagnosed ADHD originate, whether it be a social, cultural, or purely biological issue. Their results showed similar to the two previously mentioned experiments, showing that parents often confuse children personality traits with symptoms of ADHD. These traits mistaken for symptoms include hyperactivity, impulsivity, behavioral issues, and inattention/lack of attention. These are the beginning steps that lead to the overdiagnosal of ADHD, because parents’ initial concerns are what initiate the process. According to a New York Times newspaper article online entitled Why Parents and Doctors Should Think About A.D.H.D. in Preschool, suggests that parents should not assume that children as young as preschool have ADHD, but “On the other hand, thinking about attention deficit problems at a very young age can help those children who are really struggling academically and socially. And notably, the recommendation for first line treatment for an A.D.H.D. diagnosis in a preschooler is behavioral therapy, not drugs” (Klass). Klass concludes this article by reiterating her knowledge of how the media takes ahold of these ideas and twists them, and that her vision for the readers of her article is to change their mindset on their perception of ADHD and how it is begun to be diagnosed, starting with children’s parents.

The fourth major stereotype category worth mentioning is diagnoses in the sense of self-diagnoses, and the roles that other authority figures besides the parents take in diagnosing children with ADHD. Through the media article by EnglandKennedy, the stigmas article by Mueller, and the TEDTalk by Tonti, evidence on these authorities’ biases are shown in different areas. A media article through PSYCInfo states that “media representations of ADHD reinforce stereotypes, often presenting inaccurate information and reflecting cultural suspicions and stigmatization” (EnglandKennedy). Media plays a major role in the general stereotyping of ADHD; In some cases, mainly in adults rather than children, self-diagnosing occurs when children learn about what ADHD is or have heard it mentioned before in normal day to day conversations, or through media outlets. From preschool until high school, parents and professionals tend to observe children for any signs of ADHD that would show at these specific age groups. But in some case studies, children have begun to believe that they have this “ADHD” that everyone talks about and some even begin to fill into the characteristics that are described as symptoms, even if they do not have it. In adults, this would be similar to hypochondria, where they would read about the symptoms and strongly believe that they have ADHD. Teachers are a big causing factor of initiating ADHD testing in specific students. They believe many misbehaviors and generalized hyperactivity in their students match with ADHD symptoms, which causes the students’ parents to begin the testing process. The TEDTalk by Stephen Tonti refers to his own personal ADHD diagnosal story, referring to how rudely his teachers expressed their disgust at his behavioral problems and how they always dismissed it as ADHD, and even though it turned out to be true, he felt that their biases against ADHD made them view him as a target for judgements (Tonti). Even doctors are believed to fail in diagnosing children with ADHD versus when they actually do not have it; they are also believed to fail in prescribing the wrong medications for specific case studies, such as prescribing the wrong family of amphetamines or the wrong dosage. This is common because many symptoms differ from one person with ADHD to the other, so finding the right family of amphetamines is tricky enough, but once found to be a good match, it is even tougher to prescribe the right dosages. It is more of trial and error process, because there is no one set way to determine how much of one dose will affect the patient over another dose. This process is even more simplified in adults than children because children have not fully developed yet and is still susceptible to “growing out” of this disorder. The stigmas article by Mueller reiterates the problem with authorities and their negative biases and attitudes towards children with ADHD and the medicine used to treat its symptoms.

The fifth and final major stereotype category mentioned are the effects of ADHD on people, whether it be socially, physically, mentally, or emotionally. Socially, ADHD can make it challenging to have friends and relationships, and in acting in social situations. Physically, it can affect academics, sports, etc. while mentally, it can affect memory, thinking, impulsivity, decision making, and energy levels. Overall, these effects are breeding grounds for stereotypes because they differ from normalcy. The stigmas article goes into detail on all the stereotypes that are well known in each of these areas, such as when it is mentioned that “Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a frequently diagnosed disorder in child- and adulthood with a high impact affecting multiple facets of social life. Therefore, patients suffering from ADHD are at high risk to be confronted with stigma, prejudices, and discrimination” (Mueller). Tonti also describes his struggles when facing social dilemmas relating to his ADHD in his TEDTalk. Overall, the effects that ADHD has on all of these areas are very detrimental to one’s daily life. 

Across eight sources in my research and in my own personal experiences, I have organized major categories and smaller subcategories of main stereotypes that people have created and spread about ADHD in total. Media and other outlets of daily lives have incubated the creation and spread of stereotypes of ADHD itself and the resources used to treat its symptoms. I want readers of this paper to become informed about ADHD, what its stereotypes are, and how to analyze about each stereotype’s accuracy, all backed up by legitimate sources and scientific fact. It is important for readers to grasp this concept because otherwise ignorance will take over and blind people to the truths of major debates. There are many outlets of daily lives that strive to use this technique and blind people of their ignorance to get their own opinions and stereotypes across to the masses.
