Stigma Related to Observable Symptoms, But Not Stimulant Medication Use, in Young Women With ADHD

Abstract

Objective: ADHD is associated with stigma, but whether stimulant medication use contributes to this is unknown. We examined how perception of a young woman may be influenced by visible ADHD symptoms and/or prescribed stimulant medication use (PSMU). Method: Three-hundred-fourteen undergraduates were randomly assigned to watch one of four videos: a woman portraying (a) neither symptoms of ADHD nor PSMU, (b) no ADHD symptoms but disclosing PSMU, (c) ADHD symptoms but no PSMU, or (d) both ADHD symptoms and PSMU. Participants then completed measures of their liking of and desire for affiliation with the woman. Results: Analyses suggest that visible symptoms of ADHD were perceived negatively and are associated with less liking and desire for affiliation. PSMU was associated with negligible additive stigma. Conclusion: This supports that noticeable ADHD symptoms may be the primary driver of the stigma associated with the disorder, and specifically that directed at young women with ADHD.