{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,5]],"date-time":"2026-09-05T12:11:56Z","timestamp":1788610316287,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":61,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,30]],"date-time":"2026-05-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780099200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,30]],"date-time":"2026-05-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780099200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100018270","name":"Health Service Executive","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100018270","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["J Atten Disord"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>With rising numbers of adults seeking and receiving ADHD diagnoses, understanding their first-hand experiences of the diagnostic process is key for sensitive support and service design. This systematic review collates, evaluates and synthesises the existing evidence-base on lived experiences of adult ADHD diagnosis.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Method:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Keyword searches of six databases generated 10,357 citations, which were subjected to a systematic screening process that identified 21 relevant studies. Findings were analysed using thematic synthesis.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Analysis generated three overarching themes, elaborating how diagnostic experiences are shaped by adults\u2019\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">Relationship with Self, Relationship with Others<\/jats:italic>\n                      , and\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">Relationship with Systems.<\/jats:italic>\n                      Personally, diagnosis was widely experienced as a pivotal identity event, triggering biographical reflection that could foster greater self-compassion, but also grief, anger and identity confusion. Socially, diagnosis facilitated interpersonal understanding and communication, but also exposed adults to stigma and introduced dilemmas about diagnostic disclosure. Systemically, adults experienced the diagnostic process as beset by barriers and delays, and reported highly variable access to post-diagnosis supports or treatment.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Results suggest receiving an ADHD diagnosis in adulthood is a complex relational process that can be both validating and destabilising, with variation in experiences resulting from individual biographies, interpersonal resources, stigma climates, and service structures.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/10870547261455946","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,30]],"date-time":"2026-05-30T11:15:56Z","timestamp":1780139756000},"page":"1274-1289","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["A Systematic Review of Lived Experiences of Receiving a Diagnosis of ADHD in Adulthood"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"30","author":[{"given":"Lucy","family":"McGill","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Dublin, Ireland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Isabella","family":"Jardim-Lalor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Dublin, Ireland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8134-075X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cliodhna","family":"O\u2019Connor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Dublin, Ireland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_4_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12888-020-02774-y"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S2215-0366(16)30032-3"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/10870547231161533"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/DBP.0000000000000626"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1176\/appi.ajp.157.5.816"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.11124\/JBISRIR-2017-003357"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/1477-7525-10-47"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2019.14344"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10803-020-04575-4"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/13623613251384436"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2217\/npy.13.59"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1049732312457468"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_14_1","article-title":"\u201cGoing through life on hard mode\u201d\u2014the experience of late diagnosis of Autism and\/or ADHD: A qualitative study","author":"French B.","year":"2024","unstructured":"French B., Cassidy S. 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