Developmental labels: the good, the bad and the contested

Suppose you meet a new colleague or fellow student. Does it matter if you know that they have ADHD? Or that they've had several bouts of depression? The way we talk and think about psychological vulnerability affects how we interact with someone who has a condition. In fact, it also impacts how people with mental health problems view themselves. The researchers studying labels believe that we as a society have a real choice to make in this regard. This research challenges your ideas and introduces you to what people experience in psychiatry, including through an enormous artwork that alters your senses! This project was originally scheduled to take place at Lowlands Science 2021. Because Lowlands was cancelled, the project will now be launched at a later date.

In this project, the researchers will talk to stakeholders who deal with the label ‘ADHD’ in their daily lives. These stakeholders include (in this case) teenagers with ADHD, young adults with ADHD, parents of children with ADHD, educators, aid workers, researchers and policymakers. The question we want to answer is: what are their experiences with and perspectives on the label ‘ADHD’? We would like to know the contexts in which the label is used, and what kind of impact that use has on children’s development. The discussions for this project have now been held and the results are currently being analysed. 

Psychoeducation is aimed at informing people about mental disorders to help them better understand and cope with the diagnosis. Psychoeducation is partly provided via information brochures, websites, flyers and reports. This project examines how the diagnostic label ‘ADHD’ is represented in these materials by analysing the text to reveal patterns and differences. How are the severity and impact portrayed? To what extent is ADHD represented as an individual problem or, conversely, as an interaction between the child and their environment? This analysis will result in a series of recommendations on psychoeducation.

When a psychiatrist makes a diagnosis, this information is sent as a report to the GP. This letter contains both a detailed description of the functional problems and a classification (such as ADHD). The person being diagnosed may also view this letter. In this project, we will conduct a series of in-depth interviews with adolescents after they have read this letter about themselves. How do they feel about it, what effect does the classification have on them, what could be improved? This project will result in recommendations for how these letters could be written better.

The use of diagnostic labels for developmental disorders is controversial. Critics argue that we need to get rid of the stereotypes in psychiatry: they give a false sense that we know the cause of the problems, create a risk of identification with the diagnosis and promote stigma. Supporters, however, see clear value in the use of labels, both for research purposes and in clinical practice. In this project, we will analyse this debate by showing the roles that labels play in different contexts and how they succeed in this regard to a greater or lesser extent. By exposing the functions of label use and the value they carry, this annotation aims to promote a more thoughtful use of labels.

An important part of the hub is identifying the effects of diagnostic labels (such as ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder) on children’s development. This research project explores how children and adults represent the label at the time of diagnosis. What are their thoughts on the cause of the diagnosis, the normal progression, the degree to which it can be controlled? The researchers will observe the children again a year later and also examine how the representation of the label has impacted their self-image, social relationships and level of functioning. Based on this data, lessons can be learned regarding how to best represent the diagnostic label, and thus which types of psychoeducation are most preferable. (Note: due to COVID-19 restrictions, this project has been postponed until further notice.)