Scientists have identified methods to combat ADHD through attention to strong personality traits

A new study shows that adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who are aware of and regularly use their personal strengths experience good health, improved quality of life, and fewer mental health problems. This is reported by the Medical Xpress magazine.

The study by scientists from the University of Bath, King's College London and Radboud University Medical Center was the first large-scale analytical work that quantifies the psychological strengths of people with ADHD. The analysis compared 200 adults with the syndrome and 200 without it according to how strongly they identify themselves with positive qualities — creativity, humor, spontaneity and hyperfocus. These characteristics have been defined as "what they do well or best."

"These exciting results give us an idea of what positive qualities can be associated with ADHD and, therefore, can be considered its strengths. The realization that, although ADHD is associated with various difficulties, it has a number of positive aspects can be very encouraging," says Luke Hartgaitai, a leading researcher from the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath.

According to the study, participants with ADHD more strongly noted 10 of their strengths, including hyperfocus, sense of humor, creativity, spontaneity, and intuitiveness. Despite the common problems with employment, relationships, and mental health in adults with ADHD, research has shown that they are just as likely as their neurotypical peers to recognize and use strengths in everyday life.

Most importantly, people who are more aware of their strengths and use them more often reported higher subjective well—being, better quality of life in the physical, psychological, social, and environmental spheres, as well as fewer symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress.

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"Our results show that knowing that we have certain skills and positive qualities, as well as using these strengths in appropriate cases, can be beneficial for our well-being. This may seem obvious, but now that our study confirms this hypothesis, we can begin to develop psychological support methods using these new findings," said senior author and associate professor of Psychology at the University of Bath, Dr. Puneet Shah.

The results of the study confirmed the effectiveness of strength—based interventions in mental health services, an approach that is actively used in the field of autism, but has so far been little studied for ADHD. Such methods may include psychoeducation strategies, coaching, and individually tailored therapies to help people identify and exploit their strengths.

According to Shah, the next step is to explore the ability of appropriate interventions to improve mental well-being in adults with ADHD. He clarified that people with this syndrome and other neurodivergent disorders have been calling for this for a long time. Senior author, associate professor at Radboud University Medical Center Martina Hugman, in turn, noted that research on the strengths associated with the syndrome is still at an early stage.

"Most studies only ask people with ADHD about their strengths, but we also asked neurotypical people. We have found that people without ADHD recognize many of the same strengths, although some of them are noted only by people with ADHD. This helps us to better understand the strengths of [the syndrome]," she stressed.

The specialist also pointed out the importance of informing people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder not only about their problems, but also about their potential strengths in order to improve their quality of life and reduce risks in their work or academic activities.

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Earlier, on June 1, Konstantin Krutovsky, a geneticist and professor at the Siberian Federal University and the University of Göttingen, reported that early walking may be a sign of ADHD in children. According to him, a child who takes his first step at the end of the so-called normal period (between the ages of eight and 18 months) is less likely to develop attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The specialist emphasized that children who start walking later have better developed brain areas responsible for coordination and sensorimotor processing.

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