Exploring Cultural and Social Influences on ADHD Medication Choices in Diverse Communities

Background

ADHD diagnosis and treatment are shaped not only by clinical factors but also by cultural beliefs, social norms, and the wider community context. Families from minority ethnic and socially marginalised backgrounds often face additional barriers to engaging with ADHD medication, including stigma, distrust of services, concerns about over-medicalisation, and culturally rooted explanatory models of behaviour. Despite policy emphasis on personalised and equitable care, little is known about how these cultural and social influences interact with clinical decision-making processes, or how they contribute to observed disparities in ADHD medication uptake and adherence. Understanding these influences is essential for designing culturally responsive approaches that support informed choice and reduce inequalities in ADHD care.

Aims

This PhD project aims to explore how cultural identity, family beliefs, community narratives, and social experiences shape decisions about ADHD medication across ethnic minority communities in England.

Methods

A mixed-methods design will be used. Qualitative interviews with parents, young people, clinicians, and community stakeholders will provide in-depth insight into the lived experience of medication decision-making. Focus groups within community settings will explore shared narratives and collective influences on treatment choices. Survey-based methods or choice experiments may be incorporated to quantify preferences and examine variability across groups. Findings will be integrated using a rigorous triangulation approach.

Significance

The project’s significance lies in its potential to address persistent inequities in ADHD treatment. By understanding how cultural and social contexts shape medication decisions, the research will inform practical, evidence-based strategies to support diverse families, enhance trust and communication, and guide clinicians toward more culturally informed, equitable ADHD care pathways.

Primary Supervisor’s key papers in this area:

•           Khan MU*, Hasan SS. Socioeconomic status and prescribing of ADHD medications: a study of ICB-level data in England. BMJ Mental Health. 2025 Mar 11;28(1).

•           Khan MU*, Hasan SS. Phase-specific strategies and interventions to enhance medication adherence across different phases in ADHD: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. 2024 Jun 9:1-2.

•           Khan MU*, Balbontin C, Bliemer M, Aslani P. Using discrete choice experiment to investigate patients’ and parents’ preferences for initiating ADHD medication. Journal of Mental Health. 2023 Mar 4;32(2):373-85.

•           Khan MU*, Balbontin C, Bliemer MC, Aslani P. Eliciting preferences for continuing medication among adult patients and parents of children with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder. Health Expectations. 2022 Jun;25(3):1094-107.

•           Hasan SS, Bal N, Baker I, Kow CS, Khan MU. Adverse drug reaction reporting and prescribing trends of drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in primary care England, 2010–2019. Journal of attention disorders. 2022 Feb;26(3):467-75.

•           Khan MU*, Aslani P. Exploring factors influencing initiation, implementation and discontinuation of medications in adults with ADHD. Health Expectations. 2021 May;24:82-94.

Candidates should have been awarded, or expect to achieve, EITHER:

a] a First or Upper Second Class award in their Undergraduate Degree (Bachelors or UG Masters) from a UK institution, in a subject judged by Aston to be relevant to the proposed research.

Alternativley

b] a Merit (or above)* in a Postgraduate Masters degree in a relevant subject AND an Undergraduate Degree (Bachelors or UG Masters), both from UK institutions.

*where appropriate.

Qualifications from overseas institutions will be also considered but performance must be equivalent to that described above, and the University reserves the right to ascertain this equivalence according to its own criteria.

Financial Support

This project covers the Home tuition fees. Candidates who do not have Home status will be responsible for the difference in tuition fees. Currently, the difference between ‘Home’ and the ‘Overseas’ tuition fees is £17,712 for 2026/7.  

Overseas Applicants

Overseas applicants may apply for this studentship but will need to pay the difference between the ‘Home’ and the ‘Overseas’ tuition fees. Currently, the difference between ‘Home’ and the ‘Overseas’ tuition fees is £17,712 for 2026/7. As part of the application, you will be required to confirm that you will provide this additional funding. Please indicate this on the application form in the funding section.
 

Apply through our PhD application form.

When applying:

• For University College, please select Health Sciences
• For Degree Programme, please select Research Health Sciences (including Optometry, Pharmacy, and Psychology Research Areas) and your preferred entry date.

The supervisor can be contacted at m.khan59@aston.ac.uk. When applying, please upload copies of your discussions with the supervisor as confirmation.

Overseas Applicants

Overseas applicants may apply for this studentship but will need to pay the difference between the ‘Home’ and the ‘Overseas’ tuition fees. Currently the difference between ‘Home’ and the ‘Overseas’ tuition fees is £17,712 for 2026/7. As part of the application, you will be required to confirm that you will provide this additional funding. Please indicate this on the application form in the funding section. This project has associated consumables costs which should be discussed with the supervisor in the first instance and before applying. The supervisor can be contacted at m.khan59@aston.ac.uk. When applying, please upload copies of your discussions with the supervisor as confirmation.

Apply now

If you require further information about the application process please contact the Postgraduate Admissions team at pgr_admissions@aston.ac.uk

Supervisor: Dr Muhammad Umair Khan

Contact information

For formal enquiries about this project contact:m.khan59@aston.ac.uk

PhD programmes are for those who are seeking to develop greater in-depth knowledge in a specific area. Completing this level of study is about making an original contribution to knowledge, making new discoveries and developing lifelong skills. 

Studying a PhD is great route into academia and industries that are centred on research and innovation. Areas with a demand for very high level and specialised research skills often demand PhDs.

In addition to this specialist knowledge, PhD education will help you to develop a set of valuable transferrable skills. The very nature of studying an intensive research degree will enable you to become a team player, develop problem-solving skills, analytical thinking, and advanced presentation and communication skills.