College Students’ Perceptions and Misconceptions about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

1. College Students’ Perceptions and Misconceptions about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Ashley Germscheid (Department of Psychology) Carlos J. Panahon, Ph.D. (Department of Psychology) Results Introduction Between 3 and 7 percent of children have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (American Psychiatric Association, 2000), with even higher estimates of those children continuing to have symptoms into adolescence and adulthood. As this diagnosis becomes more prevalent it is affecting a greater number of college-age students; therefore, this study aimed to discover the perceptions and misconceptions college students have about ADHD. In addition, this study examined the perceptions and misconceptions of the legal and illegal usage of ADHD medications. College students with and without ADHD completed similar questionnaires regarding their views on this topic. Results have been compared to determine if any differences have been found regarding the students’ perceptions and misconceptions of ADHD. Results from this study have also been compared to the results from a previous study involving middle and high-school students. Implications and future directions will be discussed. Do you think that medication for ADHD has changed how students with ADHD act? Do you know anyone who has taken ADHD Have you ever been approached to sell or medication without having a prescription? trade your medication? Characteristics of the Sample 31Students without ADHD 8 Students with ADHD 87% Female 50% Female Do you believe that ADHD is overdiagnosed, underdiagnosed, or diagnosed appropriately? • Conclusions • Students with ADHD believe that medication improves behavior more than do students without ADHD. Similarly, findings from the study done on middle and high school students found that students without ADHD thought medication slightly improved students behavior. There was a significant difference regarding the use of medication. 77% of students without ADHD reported having known someone without the disorder that has taken ADHD medication, but only 23% of students with ADHD have reported being approached to sell or trade their medication. In contrast, the results from the comparative study found that 45% of students with ADHD had been approached to sell or trade their medication. Students without ADHD were also more likely to report that ADHD is overdiagnosed. • The findings from this study imply that there are some differences regarding perceptions and misconceptions between students with and without ADHD. Larger differences were found pertaining to questions that asked about medication use. These differences and similarities will continue to be elaborated on as more data is collected. • Limitations • Participants may have chosen not to answer specific questions that asked them to reveal criminal behavior. • Sample size (We are still collecting data). • Majority of participants were females; however, males are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. Method Students were recruited either through the Office of Disability Services or the Department of Psychology’s SONA system. Separate online surveys were distributed to students with and without ADHD. The survey for the students with ADHD consisted of 45 questions examining their knowledge of the disorder, current treatments, and perceptions of themselves and others with ADHD. A similar survey was sent to students without ADHD. Have you ever heard someone say that their “ADHD is acting up?” Acknowledgements Thank you to the Undergraduate Research Council for funding this project and making this research possible. Thank you to Office of Disability Services for their help with recruiting participants. For additional information regarding this study, please contact Ashley Germscheid at ashley.germscheid@mnsu.edu or Dr. Panahon at carlos.panahon@mnsu.edu