So, What? What Does Contemporary ADHD Research Tell Us about Lived Experiences?

Dear Colleagues,

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most researched conditions in childhood, with a considerable amount of this evidence base coming from the neuro-behavioural sciences. Historically, the focus of ADHD research has been on aetiology (e.g., genetics, the structure and functioning of the brain, the environment, and gene–environment interactions), individual differences (e.g., executive functions, deficits, characteristics, motivation, self-regulation, and affect regulation), and the impact of these differences, particularly in childhood, with less research exploring adolescence.

More recently, with changes to DSM5 diagnostic criteria, there has been a shift towards exploring adult ADHD and gender differences. However, while much of this research is conducted in the field of brain sciences, many lay people and some professionals (e.g., parents/carers, educators, therapists, and early intervention specialists) struggle to understand how they can apply this evidence to everyday lived experiences, and how this knowledge can be used to improve the lives of people affected by ADHD.

This Special Issue welcomes submissions on ADHD research which draw on psychological and/or brain science research, but which seek to answer the “so what?” question—that is, how do your research findings, conclusions, etc., help us to better understand the lived experiences of people in the context of their day-to-day lives? This question looks beyond simplified “implications for practice” and encourages submissions that fully consider how we use and apply our research to a broader audience. For example, how can neuro-behavioural research help us to understand and respond to:

• An advancing “social” understanding of the neurobiological basis of ADHD: its aetiology and diagnosis;
• Innovations in diagnostic criteria, assessment tools, and interventions (with a focus on socially focused approaches);
• Lived experiences and personal narratives (e.g., “participant voice”/first-person accounts of living with or supporting someone with ADHD; insights from individuals, parents, supporters, and educators).
• Family experiences and dynamics (e.g., the impact on family dynamics and strategies for support; marital and sibling relationships; coping mechanisms and communication strategies for families);
• School and education experiences (e.g., strategies for teaching; Universal Design (UD)/Universal Design for Learning (UDL); the role of edtech/extended reality (XR) in supporting learners in educational settings; reasonable accommodations; individualised support and education plans);
• Academic difficulties (or strengths), e.g., promoting a positive and solution-focused perspective; identifying and promoting the strengths associated with ADHD;
• Social life and relationships (in school, at home, in the community, etc.), e.g., social skills training; interventions; emotional well-being; stigma and self-perception; bullying and victimization; cyberbullying;
• Community experiences (e.g., bio-ecological analysis [Bronfenbrenner]);
• Preparing for working life (e.g., educational and vocational transition planning; innovative implications for career guidance; mentorship; workplace inclusion programmes);
• Preparing for life transitions (the experience of ADHD during different life stages, e.g., childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and ageing);
• Co-occurring conditions (the relationship between ADHD and co-occurring conditions, e.g., anxiety; depression; substance abuse; non-pharmacological approaches to intervention);
• Intersectionality (e.g., culturally sensitive intervention approaches; understanding disparities in experience and support across differing social, cultural, or socioeconomic groups);
• Policy and advocacy (e.g., the implications of research for educational and social policy development and implementation; implications for advocacy, awareness, and support).
• Future directions and new areas of research (e.g., communicating new and emerging research for non-medical communities).

We encourage submissions that approach these topics from various perspectives, including clinical, educational, psychological, sociological, and neuroscientific viewpoints. A multidisciplinary approach can provide a comprehensive understanding of the social, personal, and educational issues related to ADHD.

However, while there are many published manuscripts that focus on communicating to technical and medical audiences, we expect that these submissions will demonstrate how the manuscript can communicate with non-technical and non-medical audiences and support their understanding of ADHD. Thus, despite potentially highly scientific/medical research, conceptualisation, and theoretical perspectives, we encourage authors to consider how their manuscripts might incorporate a more social and emancipatory perspective.

Dr. Conor Mc Guckin
Dr. Kate Carr-Fanning
Dr. Aoife Lynam
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• ADHD
• social model
• participant voice
• educational inclusion
• social inclusion
• transition planning
• family experience
• early intervention
• policy
• advocacy