Why Do Adults With ADHD Choose Strength-Based Coaching Over Public Mental Health Care? A Qualitative Case Study From the Netherlands

Abstract

For this qualitative case study, 23 semistructured interviews were conducted with clients of a private coaching center in the Netherlands. We explored why adults with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) prefer coaching, which is financed out-of-pocket, over public mental health care and what the perceived added value is for them. The participants highly valued the optimistic strength-based and solution-focused approach, which was contrasted with what they have experienced as a deficit and symptom-centered approach in public mental health care. Coaching was perceived as a joint venture, resulting in a more thorough understanding of how one approaches life and can be better equipped to deal with future problems. This study identified a group of adults with ADHD who feel that their needs are currently unsatisfactorily addressed in public mental health care. Future research should further explore whether this is a specific group of adults or whether these experiences are more common.