People with ADHD characteristics demonstrate greater creativity by deliberately allowing their minds to wander, according to research that provides the first direct evidence explaining the link between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and creative achievement.
The study examined 750 participants across two independent groups – one European cohort curated by the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology and one UK group – analysing correlations between ADHD traits, creativity levels and different types of mind wandering.
Lead researcher Han Fang from the Radboud University Medical Centre 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.”
Both patient groups displayed classic ADHD characteristics including lack of attention, impulsivity and increased tendency towards mind wandering compared to healthy controls. The research distinguished between spontaneous mind wandering – where concentration drifts between subjects – and deliberate mind wandering, where people consciously give themselves freedom to drift off-subject.
Participants’ creativity was measured using standard assessments such as finding creative uses for everyday objects. Results showed those with more ADHD symptoms consistently scored higher on creative achievements, with deliberate mind wandering acting as an underlying factor connecting ADHD and creativity.
The findings suggest practical applications for both psychoeducation and treatment. Specially designed programmes could teach people with ADHD traits how to channel spontaneous ideas into creative outputs, whilst ADHD-tailored mindfulness interventions might decrease spontaneous mind wandering or transform it into more deliberate forms.
K.P. Lesch (Professor of Molecular Psychiatry, University of Würzburg, Germany) commented: “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.”
The research was presented at the ECNP congress in Amsterdam.
