The construction of meaning in the ADHD diagnosis. A linguistic and psychodynamic research on parents' and clinicians' representations

The Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is usually faced from a behavioural or organic point o view. Intending diseases as contextual entities and symptoms as compromise solutions, in this research ADHD diagnosis has been examined in relational perspective and with attention to sense-making, with reference to dynamic psychology as far as the symbolic function is concerned. The Emotional Text Analysis, applied to different stakeholders’ verbal production, has highlighted a sort of isomorphism common to recurrent ADHD symptoms and some peculiar traits of the familiar, therapeutic and cultural context. This occurrence encourages to ponder a possible ADHD system. Such phenomenon arguably involves the separation/individuation processes and the related splitting defence.