ADHS und Aufmerksamkeit

ADHD is one of the most common mental disorders diagnosed worldwide. There are two main diagnostic tools: the DSM-5, primarily used in English-speaking countries, and the S3 guidelines in German-speaking countries. This article critically examines these diagnostic guidelines. ADHD is primarily conceptualised as an attention deficit; however, a definition of “attention” or “inattention” is completely absent from the guidelines. The article will show that the usual diagnostic criteria fail to capture the experiences of ADHD patients, as important aspects such as will, interest, and socio-normative context are overlooked. After a phenomenological discussion of some of the crucial concepts, this article proposes that ADHD should be understood not as an attention deficit, but rather as the inability to direct attention according to will, interest and the socio-normative context.