Stigma towards people with ADHD

About the Project

Research indicates that people with ADHD encounter stigma, including stereotypes, prejudice (i.e., negative attitudes) and discrimination (see Bisset et al. 2022; Lebowitz, 2016; Mueller et al., 2012 for reviews). This includes negative beliefs about the validity of ADHD diagnosis, and trivialisation of that diagnosis, alongside negative stereotypes and attribution of personal responsibility for ADHD-related challenges (e.g., see Visser et al., 2024). Research suggests that stigma contributes to masking of ADHD-related behaviours and non-disclosure of diagnoses (e.g., Mylett et al., 2026; Visser et al., 2024; see Eccleston et al., 2019 for a review), and there is some indication that ADHD stigma affects mental and physical health behaviours and outcomes, including self-esteem and treatment seeking (see Krishnamoorthy et al. 2026, for a review).

Potential PhD projects in this area might look at the relationship between stigma and masking/camouflaging, the impact of stigma on physical or mental health, or design and evaluate interventions to reduce stigma towards people with ADHD. A range of methodological approaches may be used, including systematic review and meta-analysis or qualitative meta-synthesis, and primary quantitative and/or qualitative research.