New research reveals how ADHD sparks extraordinary creativity

Lead researcher Han Fang (from the Radboud University Medical Centre, the Netherlands) explained:

"Previous research pointed to mind wandering as a possible factor linking ADHD and creativity, but until now no study has directly examined this connection. We conducted two studies, utilizing 2 different groups of ADHD patients and healthy controls, one from a European group curated by the ECNP, and a second study from a UK group. In total there were 750 participants. Separately analyzing results from 2 independent groups means that we can have greater confidence in the results."

The team explored how ADHD traits, creativity, and functional challenges interact, focusing on the influence of mind wandering. Both groups displayed typical ADHD traits, including inattention, impulsivity, and frequent shifts in focus away from the task at hand. In both studies, participants with more pronounced ADHD symptoms also reported higher levels of mind wandering.

Mind wandering refers to moments when attention drifts away from what a person is doing and turns inward to self-generated thoughts. Everyone experiences this to some extent, but it occurs more frequently in individuals with ADHD.

Han Fang added:

"Previous researchers have been able to distinguish two different types of mind wandering. It can be a loss of concentration, where your mind may drift from subject to subject. This is 'spontaneous mind-wandering'. Another type is 'deliberate mind wandering', where people give themselves the freedom to drift off-subject, where they 'allow their thoughts to take a different course'. Psychiatrists have developed ways of measuring how much people are subject to these different tendencies."

The researchers also measured creativity in both groups (there are standards ways of measuring this, for example by asking people to find a creative use for an everyday object). They then looked at how creativity was associated with the different types of mind wandering.

Dr. Han Fang said:

"We found that people with more ADHD traits such as lack of attention, hyperactivity, or impulsivity, score higher on creative achievements in both studies. This supports previous research. Additionally, we found that mind wandering, particularly deliberate mind wandering, where people allow their "thoughts to wander on purpose," was associated with greater creativity in people with ADHD. This suggests that mind wandering may be an underlying factor connecting ADHD and creativity.

This may have practical implications, for both psychoeducation and treatment. For psychoeducation, specially designed programs or courses that teach individuals how to utilize their spontaneous ideas, for example turning them into creative outputs, could help individuals with ADHD traits harness the benefits of mind wandering. For treatment, ADHD-tailored mindfulness-based interventions that seek to decrease spontaneous mind wandering or transform it into more deliberate forms may reduce functional impairments and enhance treatment outcomes. This is the first time this link has been investigated, so we need to see more studies which confirm the findings."

Commenting, K.P. Lesch (Professor of Molecular Psychiatry, University of Würzburg, Germany) said:

"Mind wandering is one of the critical resources on which the remarkable creativity of high-functioning ADHD individuals is based. This makes them such an incredibly valuable asset for our society and the future of our planet."