title: A phenomenological analysis of the experience of receiving a diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in adulthood: a partner's perspective.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objectives are to explore the experience of living with a person who has undergone a process of diagnosis in his or her adult years and to examine, from the partner's perspective, how diagnosis and treatment with medication affects the ADHD patients' understanding of themselves, their behavior, and their relationships with others.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were the partners of eight patients who had been diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood. Semistructured interviews were conducted, and the data were analyzed according to interpretative phenomenological analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three master themes emerged from the analysis: perceptions of inadequacy of the ADHD partner, emotional impact of diagnosis, and medication not a panacea.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results indicate a need for psychological treatment to be provided to clients following diagnosis. Information leaflets for partners will also help partners' ability to facilitate their own knowledge and understanding, which in turn will help them better support their AD/HD partners.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom. Susan.Young@iop.kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bramham
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012747:Sexual Partners; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants