Calming the Tide: Emotional Regulation in Young Adults with ADHD
Abstract
The present study examines how young adults diagnosed with ADHD experience and perceive emotional regulation. Six post-secondary students were interviewed using the Enhanced Critical Incident Technique to elicit rich, nuanced responses. Participants were asked to describe situations in which they experienced intense emotions, and to contextualize examples in the form of events or stories (what led up to the situation, what actually happened, and what was the outcome). Data analysis identified 205 critical incidents comprised of 109 helping incidents, 79 hindering incidents, and 17 wish list items. These incidents informed the development of the following 7 categories: (a) Appraise & Process, (b) Social Interaction, (c) Distancing, (d) Physical Response, (e) Emotional Engagement, (f) Taking Medication, and (g) Active Problem-Solving. Further contextual themes were identified using a secondary thematic analysis. Results are discussed in light of relevant literature, and implications for researchers, therapists, and young adults living with ADHD are highlighted.
Description
Keywords
Educational Psychology
Citation
Nicholson, A. (2017). Calming the Tide: Emotional Regulation in Young Adults with ADHD (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/25194