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Self-Diagnosis vs.Clinical diagnosis of ADHD: Key Differences Revealed

New research out today shows that there are key differences between⁢ people who self-diagnose themselves with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and those diagnosed by a doctor.

Scientists at Michigan State University examined hundreds of thousands of Reddit posts from users ⁤of a forum dedicated to ADHD. Among other things,‍ they⁢ found that self-diagnosed individuals were more likely to⁤ have a⁤ negative self-image than⁢ people‍ clinically diagnosed with ADHD;⁤ they also tended to seek out validation online and from their loved ones more frequently enough.

The findings suggest it’s crucial to recognize how people’s identity ⁢surrounding ADHD can be shaped by the origin⁢ of their diagnosis, the researchers⁢ say.

A ⁤Reddit Analysis

The study authors initially analyzed over⁢ 450,000 posts on the subreddit r/ADHD, made over a 14-year span⁣ between 2009 and 2023.

They ultimately studied a subset of 211,000 posts, made by 15,432 unique users, that clearly indicated a person’s diagnosis status. In one example ⁤of self-diagnosis cited by ⁣the authors, the user stated that they were “undiagnosed‍ but suspecting⁢ things.” They analyzed the language of these posts,looking for signs of validation-seeking,negative self-image,and internalized ⁣stigma (one example of the latter: “I avoided treatment for years because of the shame of the⁣ source”).

All in all, they found⁤ that people with ⁤self-diagnosed ADHD ⁣were more likely ⁢to‍ look down on themselves‍ and to ⁣express internalized stigma in these posts than those with clinically diagnosed⁤ ADHD. they were also more likely to express