Difference in Attitudes Towards Children Based on ADHD Diagnosis and Culture (Comparing Israel and the United States)

Abstract

This study examined the stigma attached to ADHD behaviors and diagnoses and determined whether that stigma differed in the United States and Israel. 156 students from Israel (n = 82) and the United States (n = 74) filled out an online survey about their attitudes toward children with ADHD. After reading one of four vignettes that described a child, participants ranked the child’s personality, success in school and recreational activities, and estimation of future success. Across both cultures, when participants read a vignette that included ADHD symptoms (presented with and without a diagnostic label), they ranked the child more negatively. However, when participants read a vignette that included only an ADHD diagnostic label and no symptoms, they ranked the child similarly to the ranking made by control participants. No clear difference in ADHD stigma between cultures was found.