Perspectives of college students on their childhood ADHD.
OBJECTIVE
To determine what successful young adults perceive was helpful to them when they were struggling with their attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms as children.


METHODS
Sixteen young adult -college students with a history of ADHD participated in semistructured interviews that asked them which people and what strategies they had found most helpful to them during their childhood. Data were analyzed -using content analysis.


RESULTS
The most helpful people were parents and teachers; the most helpful strategies were caring behaviors and active teaching/learning strategies. Participants remembered helpful people as "giving me strategies to help me keep my mind focused on something; keep me involved, keep me interested."


CONCLUSIONS
Children with ADHD need the support of caring adults who use active teaching strategies. Nurses working with children and adolescents in any setting can educate parents about the best ways to help children with ADHD succeed, using some of the results of this research.
Bartlett
Robin
R
School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, USA. robin_bartlett@uncg.edu
Rowe
Tracie S
TS
Shattell
Mona M
MM
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012944:Social Support; D015144:Southeastern United States; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities