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The Effects of Diagnostic Labelling on the Implicit Theories of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Held by Health Professionals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2012

Rachel Dryer ,
Michael J. Kiernan  and
Graham A. Tyson
Rachel Dryer*
Affiliation:
Charles Sturt University, Australia. rdryer@csu.edu.au
Michael J. Kiernan
Affiliation:
Charles Sturt University, Australia.
Graham A. Tyson
Affiliation:
Charles Sturt University, Australia.
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr Rachel Dryer, School of Social Sciences & Liberal Studies, Charles Sturt University, Panorama Avenue, Bathurst NSW 2795, Australia.
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Abstract

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most recent diagnostic label used to describe a behavioural condition of which the essential features are developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention, impulsivity and overactivity. ADHD has attracted both controversy and attention from the professional and scientific community. However, little is known regarding the explanatory models (implicit theories) of health professionals or of their beliefs regarding the treatment of this condition, specifically the impact of diagnostic labelling on their decisions concerning treatment. This study manipulated the presence versus absence of the diagnostic label ‘ADHD’ in a vignette study describing the symptoms of this condition. The vignette was presented to professionals in the educational, mental health and allied health fields. After reading the vignette, participants were required to complete a questionnaire examining implicit beliefs concerning ADHD. The results confirmed that the presence of the diagnostic label (ADHD) changed the causal explanations by professional groups. However, the presence of the diagnostic label did not significantly change the beliefs about the optimal treatment strategy for this condition.

Type
Standard Papers
Information
Behaviour Change , Volume 23 , Issue 3 , 01 September 2006 , pp. 177 - 185
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006

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