Cultural Perceptions of ADHD A cross-European study

Plain-language summary

Research suggests that cultural factors significantly influence how adult ADHD is perceived and managed across different European regions. There are variations in how ADHD symptoms are understood and in the willingness to seek diagnosis and treatment, which can lead to disparities in care. However, more research is needed to fully understand these complex cultural relationships.

Key findings

• The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) Screener is a reliable tool for assessing adult ADHD symptoms across different cultures and languages, but some differences exist due to cultural variations.
• In some cultures, like Turkish collectivistic societies, there may be different understandings of mental health conditions like ADHD, which can affect diagnosis rates and engagement with treatment.
• A study in Central Europe and East Asia aimed to understand factors influencing whether children with ADHD symptoms start treatment, suggesting that patient characteristics and regional differences play a role.

Studies cited (3)

1. Cross-Cultural Adult ADHD Assessment in 42 Countries Using the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale Screener — K. Lewczuk, Przemysław Marcowski, Magdalena Wizła (2024, Journal of Attention Disorders, other)

   Objective: We analyzed adult ADHD symptoms in a cross-cultural context, including investigating the occurrence and potential correlates of adult ADHD and psychometric examination of the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) Screener. Method: Our analysis is based on a large-scale research project involving 42 countries (International Sex Survey, N=72,627, 57% women, Mage=32.84; SDage=12.57). Results: The ASRS Screener demonstrated good reliability and validity, along with partial invariance across different languages, countries, and genders. The occurrence of being at risk for adult ADHD was rel

2. Cultural differences in diagnosis and treatment perceptions: Turkish collectivistic representations of common mental disorders — Iclal Yildiz, Els Rommes, Enny Das (2025, International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health & Well-Being, other)

   ABSTRACT Purpose Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is less diagnosed among Turkish children, and Turkish clients drop out more often from depression treatments than Dutch clients. This article proposes that cultural differences in collectivistic versus individualistic perceptions of getting an ADHD diagnosis and being treated for depression might explain these ethnic disparities, which have been explored in this study. Methods Nine focus group discussions with Turkish individuals and 18 interviews with primary mental health practitioners were conducted. Results Findings show that

3. Patient characteristics associated with treatment initiation among paediatric patients with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms in a naturalistic setting in Central Europe and East Asia — Hong J, Novick D, Treuer T (2014, BMC psychiatry, other)

   DOI: 10.1186/s12888-014-0304-x PMCID: PMC4219015