Life Gets Better: Important Resilience Factors When Growing Up With ADHD

Abstract

Objective: To explore emerging adults’ descriptions of important resilience factors when growing up with ADHD. Method: Individual interviews with 10 emerging adults (21–24 years) who participated in a 10-year follow-up study, analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The main theme was that “life gets better.” Resilience factors contributing to this positive development were strategies to regulate ADHD, valuable relationships, acceptance, seeing positive attributes of ADHD, receiving tailored, non-stigmatizing support, and participating in meaningful activities. Conclusion: Growing up with ADHD was associated with both challenges and positives, but the main resilience theme was that life gets better. A variety of resilience factors contributed to this, but relational and environmental factors seemed particularly important. Acceptance, both from society and self-acceptance, were related to all resilience factors in various ways indicating that better knowledge of ADHD might foster better understanding and acceptance of children and adolescents with ADHD.