Creativity, Humor, and Hyperfocus: The Strengths of ADHD

Strengths-based approaches have gained prominence in the study of neurodevelopmental conditions, but are still underexplored in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Comparing a large sample of adults with and without ADHD, the authors observed that people with ADHD report a greater affinity for some specific strengths, such as hyperfocus, creativity, and humor, but do not differ significantly from controls in terms of knowledge and general use of their personal strengths. In both groups, greater knowledge and use of strengths were associated with better well-being, quality of life, and mental health.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition, that is, a different form of brain development that begins in childhood and usually accompanies the person throughout life. It is estimated that about five to seven percent of children and approximately two to four percent of adults worldwide have this disorder.

It manifests mainly through persistent difficulties with attention, impulsivity, and, in many cases, high levels of physical or mental activity. From a biological standpoint, neuroimaging studies show that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with differences in the functioning and communication between brain areas responsible for attention control, planning, emotional regulation, and decision-making, especially regions of the prefrontal cortex, basal ganglia, and circuits linked to the reward system.

These differences do not indicate a "defective" brain, but rather a brain that functions differently, with specific challenges and potentials.

Traditionally, psychiatry and psychology have approached ADHD almost exclusively from the perspective of its difficulties and impairments, such as academic problems, emotional instability, and challenges at work and in relationships. However, in recent decades, a new perspective called the neurodiversity paradigm has gained traction.

This approach is based on the principle that neurological variations are part of human diversity and that conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder should not be understood solely in terms of deficits, but also in terms of skills, talents, and positive characteristics that may be more frequent or more intense in these populations.

In the field of autism spectrum disorder, this shift in perspective is already relatively advanced. Research and interventions have begun to value characteristics such as intense attention to detail, logical thinking, pattern recognition, preference for routines, and a high capacity for concentration on specific interests.

These qualities have been used to improve the psychological well-being, quality of life, educational performance, and employment opportunities of autistic individuals. Although scientific debate still exists regarding the robustness of some of this evidence, there is now a growing number of studies supporting the idea that focusing on strengths can be a valid and beneficial strategy.

In contrast, the study of strengths associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is still quite limited. Most quantitative research has focused almost exclusively on creativity, understood as the ability to generate original and useful ideas, and on so-called divergent thinking, which refers to the ability to think unconventionally and explore multiple solutions to the same problem.

Many studies have found a positive association between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and these types of creative thinking, but others, especially those conducted with children and adolescents, have not observed clear differences between people with and without the disorder.

These inconsistencies can be explained, in part, by important methodological limitations, such as small sample sizes, which reduce the reliability of the results, and by the lack of control for factors such as educational level and socioeconomic conditions, which strongly influence cognitive performance.

Furthermore, focusing solely on creativity may offer a very limited view of the possible psychological strengths associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Qualitative studies, which use open-ended interviews and personal accounts, have provided a broader view of the lived experiences of adults with the disorder.

In these studies, many participants reported positive characteristics such as high energy levels, enthusiasm, the ability to multitask, ease in becoming deeply involved in activities of interest, willingness to take risks, adventurous spirit, and empathy. Some people also reinterpreted characteristics traditionally seen as symptoms, such as impulsivity and hyperactivity, as sources of spontaneity, creativity, and vitality.

Despite the value of these findings, most of these qualitative studies involved small samples or focused on adults considered “successful,” such as those with higher education, stable employment, and long-term relationships.

This limits the possibility of generalizing the results to the broader population of people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which is extremely diverse in terms of life trajectories.

More recent research, with larger samples, has identified the following as central domains of psychological strength in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder:

• creativity

• mental flexibility

• dynamism

• social and emotional skills, such as empathy and sensitivity

• complex cognitive skills, such as analytical thinking

• hyperfocus, which is the ability to concentrate intensely on tasks of great interest.

Even with this progress, several fundamental questions remain unanswered. It is still unclear whether these positive characteristics are actually more recognized by people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder than by those without the disorder. It is also unknown to what extent these people are aware of their own strengths, nor how often they are able to use them intentionally in their daily lives.

Research conducted with autistic individuals indicates that recognizing and using one's own strengths is associated with better mental health, greater well-being, and a better quality of life, which raises the hypothesis that the same may be true for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

To investigate these issues, researchers conducted a study comparing adults with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Four hundred adults participated in the study, two hundred with a diagnosis of the disorder and two hundred without, carefully matched to ensure that the groups were similar in aspects such as age and sex.

All participants were recruited online and answered detailed questionnaires. These questionnaires asked participants to indicate how much they identified with a list of twenty-five characteristics considered possible strengths related to ADHD, such as creativity, sense of humor, empathy, and hyperfocus ability.

In addition, participants answered questions about how well they knew their own strengths, that is, whether they were clear about what their personal qualities were, and how often they were able to use them in daily life, at work, in studies, and in relationships.

The study also assessed indicators of subjective well-being, quality of life, and mental health, such as levels of life satisfaction, positive and negative feelings, and the presence of emotional symptoms such as anxiety and depression. To analyze the data, the researchers used different statistical methods, including traditional approaches and probability-based methods, with the aim of obtaining more robust and reliable conclusions.

The results showed that adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) reported greater identification with ten of the twenty-five strengths assessed, including hyperfocus, creativity, and sense of humor, when compared to participants without the disorder. However, for most characteristics, there was no significant difference between the groups.

Surprisingly, adults with and without ADHD did not differ in their level of awareness of their own strengths or in how frequently they used them. In both groups, people who demonstrated greater awareness of their qualities and who were able to use them more frequently showed greater well-being, better quality of life, and fewer symptoms of psychological distress.

Based on these findings, the authors concluded that, although there are some specific differences in the strengths reported by adults with and without ADHD, the recognition and conscious use of one's own qualities appear to be important factors for overall human well-being.

This suggests that psychological and educational interventions that help people identify, value, and apply their strengths can benefit not only individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but adults in general, contributing to a more fulfilling and mentally healthy life.

READ MORE:

The role of psychological strengths in positive life outcomes in adults with ADHD

Luca D. Hargitai, Emma L. M. Laan, Lessa M. Schippers, Lucy A. Livingston, Graeme Fairchild, Punit Shah, and Martine Hoogman

Psychological Medicine. Volume 55. 6 October 2025

DOI: 10.1017/S0033291725101232

Abstract:

Strength-based approaches are increasingly common in neurodevelopmental research, but the positive characteristics that may be features of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remain underexplored. The extent to which people with ADHD recognize and use their personal strengths, and whether these play a role in their life outcomes, is also unknown. Tackling these gaps in the literature, we conducted the first study of self-reported strengths, strengths knowledge, and strengths use in ADHD. Adults with (n = 200) and without (n = 200) ADHD were recruited online and rated their endorsement of 25 putative ADHD-related strengths. Participants also completed self-report measures assessing strengths knowledge, strengths use, subjective wellbeing, quality of life, and mental health. Using both Frequentist and Bayesian methods, we compared the groups and explored the associations of strengths knowledge and use with outcomes across both groups. The ADHD group endorsed 10 strengths more strongly than the non-ADHD group, including hyperfocus, humor, and creativity, but reported similar endorsement for 14 of the strengths. Adults with and without ADHD did not differ on their strengths knowledge and use but, in both groups, increased strengths knowledge and, to some extent, greater strengths use were associated with better wellbeing, improved quality of life, and fewer mental health symptoms. We conclude that, while adults with and without ADHD may have both similarities and differences in strengths, interventions that focus on enhancing people’s strength knowledge and promoting the everyday use of their personal strengths could have universal applications to improve wellbeing in adulthood.