‘When I don’t drink my pills, I go crazy!’ Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medication: A risk or a resilience factor?

Background: The global prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is increasing. Children with ADHD are exposed to various risk factors that adversely affect their quality of life. Treatment is paramount to counteract these risks. Current research focuses on how parents and teachers perceive children’s experience of living with and taking ADHD medication. This study included children as participants, enabling their agency. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate whether ADHD medication is a risk or resilience factor for children diagnosed with ADHD. Method: A qualitative approach and a phenomenological research design were used in this study. Nine children taking ADHD medication in a mainstream private school were purposefully sampled as the study’s participants. Data were obtained using semi-structured interviews, focus groups and children’s drawings and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Participants identified that experiencing somatic side effects of ADHD medication and not taking prescription medication for ADHD were both risks, while taking prescription medication for ADHD was reported to enable their resilience. The study found that although children with ADHD face risks associated with taking medication for ADHD, they also reported that their medication helped them cope with the ADHD symptoms. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that medication serves as both a risk and a resilience factor for children with ADHD. Thus, interventions must be implemented to mitigate the risks and maintain the resilience factors associated with taking prescription medication. Contribution: These findings can inform interventions to support children in mitigating the risks associated with ADHD medication and foster children’s resilience.