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Dr Anthony Dillon
Anthony Dillon is originally from Queensland. He completed his PhD at the Centre for Positive Psychology and Education in 2011. Anthony specialises in applied psychology. His teaching and research focuses are on alternative conceptualisations of mental health (particularly ADHD), statistics and psychometrics, and Indigenous health. His PhD is an investigation of the factors that predict parents’ acceptance or rejection of the ADHD diagnosis for their child.
Anthony is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the CPPE and is the recipient of a Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development Grant for work on his postdoctoral project: Measurement matters: analysis of potential methodological and discrimination biases in assessments of medication treatments for ADHD, and stakeholder views
Qualifications
BSc (Hons), MTrainDev (Griffith), PhD (UWS)
Grants
‘Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - A diagnosis for children or a cure for parents? A critical analysis of the nature, prevalence, and parents perceptions of ADHD' - ARC Indigenous Researchers Development
Thesis Title
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - A critical analysis elucidating constructs that influence parental influence/rejection of diagnosis and response
Supervisors
Professor Rhonda Craven, Dr Gawaian Bodkin-Andrews, Dr Helen Correia & Professor Ian Wilson
Abstract
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a widely used term used to describe children displaying hyperactive and/or inattentive type behaviours. While few would deny the existence of such behaviours, there is strong debate regarding whether or not ADHD is a medical condition or simply just a term to describe a cluster of problematic behaviours often seen in children. For parents of such children, dealing with these problematic behaviours usually means that they need to reach a decision as to whether they will accept a medical diagnosis of ADHD for their child or reject it in favour of another explanation. The decision reached often determines what treatment options will be chosen, in particular, whether stimulant medication will be used. The use of stimulant medication itself is as controversial as the topic of the validity of ADHD as a medical condition. The main objective of this research is to investigate if there are certain characteristics of parents (both psychological and demographic characteristics) that can be identified and used to predict which parents will accept a medical diagnosis of ADHD and which parents will reject it. This will be facilitated by the use of sophisticated statistical and analytical techniques that can be used to examine psychological constructs such parenting self-concept and locus of control. The uniqueness of this study is based on the use of a specifically developed survey instrument for this research that will be used to collect the opinions and beliefs about ADHD of parents who have a child with ADHD-type behaviours.
Publications
Bodkin-Andrews, G., Dillon, A. & Craven, R. (2010) Bangawarra'gumada - Strengthening the Spirit: Causal modelling of academic self-concept and patterns of disengagement for Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australian students. Contemporary Educational Psychology.
Bodkin-Andrews, G. H., O’Rourke, V., Dillon, A., Craven, R. G. & Yeung, A. S. (2009) Explaining Away Aboriginality: Causal modelling of Academic Self-Concept and Disengagement for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian Students. Refereed Paper presented at the Fifth Global SELF International Biennial Conference, 13 - 15 January 2009. United Arab Emirates University : Al Ain.
Dillon, A., Craven, R. G. & Yeung, A. S. (2009) Controversies Surrounding the Diagnosis of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Poster presented at the Fifth Global SELF International Biennial Conference, 13 - 15 January 2009. United Arab Emirates University : Al Ain.
Dillon, A., Craven, R. G. & Yeung, A. S. (2009) The Role of Self-Concept in Understanding why People Accept the Diagnosis of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Refereed Paper presented at the Fifth Global SELF International Biennial Conference, 13 - 15 January 2009. United Arab Emirates University : Al Ain.
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