What does race, culture, class, socioeconomic status, and so forth have to do with ADHD?
Research on ADHD has overwhelming been conducted on white males. It's typically conducted in Europe or in the United States or Canada. We're ignoring substantial information on the science and diversity of ADHD and how it is expressed and experienced across the globe.
There are some excellent articles being written and research being done about this. Here are a few good starting places:
ADHD whiteness: An exploration of the (absent) role of race in adult ADHD research
NY Times article 'No One's Ever Talked to Me About This Before' (limited access)
Stop white-washing neurodivergency.
Spotlight On: Zoe Smith (see the question, "Why is it important to study and treat ADHD in Black and Latina/e/o youth with extra support?")
It is only by understanding how ADHD is experienced by a diverse set of people that we will truly understand it. We must be aware of the potential prejudices of scientific studies and their limitations. We limit ourselves by only listening and studying to the loudest voices in the room.
Is it that ADHD is less commonly found in Japan or is it less studied, more stigmatized, and harder to obtain a diagnosis? Are college students from low income backgrounds less likely to use accommodations for their ADHD or is it that they are less likely to have the resources to obtain all of the needed documentation to register with the disability office, are less aware of their rights, and are less likely to advocate for themselves? Are Black parents less likely to medicate their children or do they experience higher levels of gaslighting by the medical community? I don't know the answers to these questions, but I know we need to ask them. I know we need to truly appreciate the nuances of getting an ADHD diagnosis, adequate treatment, and the necessary support.
There are some excellent articles being written and research being done about this. Here are a few good starting places:
ADHD whiteness: An exploration of the (absent) role of race in adult ADHD research
NY Times article 'No One's Ever Talked to Me About This Before' (limited access)
Stop white-washing neurodivergency.
Spotlight On: Zoe Smith (see the question, "Why is it important to study and treat ADHD in Black and Latina/e/o youth with extra support?")
It is only by understanding how ADHD is experienced by a diverse set of people that we will truly understand it. We must be aware of the potential prejudices of scientific studies and their limitations. We limit ourselves by only listening and studying to the loudest voices in the room.
Is it that ADHD is less commonly found in Japan or is it less studied, more stigmatized, and harder to obtain a diagnosis? Are college students from low income backgrounds less likely to use accommodations for their ADHD or is it that they are less likely to have the resources to obtain all of the needed documentation to register with the disability office, are less aware of their rights, and are less likely to advocate for themselves? Are Black parents less likely to medicate their children or do they experience higher levels of gaslighting by the medical community? I don't know the answers to these questions, but I know we need to ask them. I know we need to truly appreciate the nuances of getting an ADHD diagnosis, adequate treatment, and the necessary support.
Access to diagnosis differs as does the experience of diagnosis
Why Race Matters in Diagnosing and Treating ADHD
Privilege plays a huge role in getting an ADHD diagnosis
Black women with ADHD start healing, with a diagnosis at last (limited access)
How culture affected my ADHD diagnosis
ADHD Assessments and Cultural Impact – Diagnosis and Treatment in BIPOC Patients: A Special Report
Unconscious Bias and the Diagnosis of Disruptive Behavior Disorders and ADHD in African American and Hispanic Youth
Diagnostic and Medication Treatment Disparities in African American Children with ADHD: a Literature Review (not open access)
Privilege plays a huge role in getting an ADHD diagnosis
Black women with ADHD start healing, with a diagnosis at last (limited access)
How culture affected my ADHD diagnosis
ADHD Assessments and Cultural Impact – Diagnosis and Treatment in BIPOC Patients: A Special Report
Unconscious Bias and the Diagnosis of Disruptive Behavior Disorders and ADHD in African American and Hispanic Youth
Diagnostic and Medication Treatment Disparities in African American Children with ADHD: a Literature Review (not open access)
Access to care and treatment differs
From Under-Diagnosis to Over-Representation: Black Children, ADHD, and the School-to-Prison Pipeline (here is the journal article which is not open access)
Why Race Matters in Diagnosing and Treating ADHD
ADHD Assessments and Cultural Impact – Diagnosis and Treatment in BIPOC Patients: A Special Report
Diagnostic and Medication Treatment Disparities in African American Children with ADHD: a Literature Review (not open access)
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Childhood ADHD Treatment Access and Utilization: Results From a National Study (not open access)
Additional intersections between culture and ADHD
Race, Culture, and Ethnicity in ADHD (book chapter)
Examining Latino Family Participation in Treatment for Childhood ADHD: The Role of Parental Cultural Factors and Perceptions (not open access)
My Experience Being Neurodivergent & Having ADHD As a Latina
Understanding and Measuring Functional Impairment in Diverse Children With ADHD: Development of the ADHD-FX Scale With an At-Risk, Community Sample
Invisible & overlooked: ADHD in Black Women and Non-binary people
No Time To Confront Racism In Neurodiversity
ADHD, Race and Culture: The South Asian Lived Experience (podcast episode)
How Model Minority Myths Fails Neurodivergent South Asians
Unstoppable: How Professor Chesko Has Redefined Success While Navigating Society With ADHD and Anxiety
For Asian Americans, ADHD diagnosis brings closure after years of being ignored
Examining Latino Family Participation in Treatment for Childhood ADHD: The Role of Parental Cultural Factors and Perceptions (not open access)
My Experience Being Neurodivergent & Having ADHD As a Latina
Understanding and Measuring Functional Impairment in Diverse Children With ADHD: Development of the ADHD-FX Scale With an At-Risk, Community Sample
Invisible & overlooked: ADHD in Black Women and Non-binary people
No Time To Confront Racism In Neurodiversity
ADHD, Race and Culture: The South Asian Lived Experience (podcast episode)
How Model Minority Myths Fails Neurodivergent South Asians
Unstoppable: How Professor Chesko Has Redefined Success While Navigating Society With ADHD and Anxiety
For Asian Americans, ADHD diagnosis brings closure after years of being ignored
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