Forget Me Not: A Content Analysis of Memorable Messages Retained by Adults with ADHD

Abstract

The goal of the present study was to examine what memorable messages are received in response to a person’s ADHD symptoms and how these messages are associated with receivers’ psychological outcomes. In an online survey, 147 adults with ADHD described the most memorable message they had received in response to their ADHD behaviors. Using an integrative content analysis approach, these messages were analyzed for mentions of inattention and hyperactivity ADHD symptoms, message valence, and stigmatizing content/effects. The associations between these messages and receivers’ self-esteem, sense of self-efficacy, and internalized stigma were then analyzed. Additionally, the sources of these messages and the developmental periods during which receivers first heard their memorable messages were examined. Results revealed predominantly negative memorable message experiences associated with ADHD symptoms and behaviors, and these negative messages were associated with worse psychological outcomes for receivers. The strongest associations with participants’ psychological outcomes were for the quantity of inattention symptoms they experienced and message valence. Most memorable messages originated during early or later childhood, and authority figures and parents, followed by peers/friends, were the most commonly identified message sources. Keywords: ADHD, memorable messages, stigma, psychosocial development, content analysis