Supervisors info:
Παπαγεωργίου Χαράλαμπος, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ, Επιβλέπων
Οικονόμου Μαρίνα, Αναπληρώτρια Καθηγήτρια, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Γονιδάκης Φραγκίσκος, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is mostly common in childhood but also found to affect adults, in 2/3 of the patients. The treatment is considered to be a complex process, as long as it has to cover a major spectrum of patient’s life, in order to help him/her being fully functional and come through everyday’s challenges. Among other interventions, coaching is also suggested, since it focuses on finding and facing the challenges in patient’s everyday life. Both the coach and the adult with ADHD build a relationship of equal terms, where the patient feels safe and discusses his/her problems while working with coach on solving them. Although, in bibliography there is a vagueness on how to define coaching and the skills that a coach should be occupied with, this intervention is widely suggested. In Greece, there are no references or evidence about coaching in adults with ADHD.
For the purposes of this research, a semi-structured interview was made, presenting the most approved definition for an ADHD coach and his/her skills. Later, the subjects were asked if they have ever had in their lives anyone who had similar skills, providing them support like a coach. The researcher, based on international bibliography from societies with similar socio-cultural kai economic status, had constructed a catalog of persons who possibly act like a coach. This catalog was the main hypothesis of the research and included every possible answer from the participants. 50 diagnosed patients (n=50) with adult ADHD, from the Specialized Psychiatric Clinic in Neurodevelopmental Disorders of Eginitio Hospital, participated in this 9-month research and were interviewed by the researcher.
The results suggest that the majority of the patients had indicated at least one person in their lives that was acting like a coach, providing them support. Thorough, analysis of the data from this research leads to conclusions for continuance of this research.
