The link between creativity, ADHD traits and wellbeing

Research in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has so far almost exclusively focused on the deficits associated with this disorder. Unfortunately, knowledge about the deficits of ADHD is plateauing, while the field has not yet been able to improve the lives of diagnosed individuals, beyond symptomatic treatment. Therefore, there is a great need to address novel aspects in the research of ADHD to get a more complete and balanced picture of ADHD. Concentrating on potential strengths in ADHD generates new knowledge and has the potential to change the prospects of individuals with ADHD for the better. However, science is lagging behind on this subject. There is preliminary evidence for the existence of positive aspects and strengths in ADHD. The most solid evidence for one of ADHD’s strengths comes from studies of creativity (Hoogman et al., 2020). Although both qualitative studies and quantitative studies have revealed a positive association between ADHD adults and creativity (White and Shah, 2006; Schippers et al., 2022), the relationship between creativity and ADHD among adolescents is far from clear, while the results of the adolescents ADHD studies are mixed and sample size of those studies is small. Therefore, we need studies on the link between ADHD traits and creativity among adolescents in powerful samples to pave the way for a comprehensive understanding of creativity in ADHD.

ADHD is also known to relate to poor wellbeing in several ways, including lower self-esteem, and poorer overall quality of life (Wehmeier et al., 2010), while research into the link between creativity and well-being suggests that creativity may enhance well-being (Celume et al., 2017). Given the implication of the positive outcomes creativity brings to well-being, it is important to investigate further whether creativity may alleviate the poor wellbeing that ADHD traits bring to adolescents. The results will have the potential to have impact on how adolescents cope with the disorder and will provide new perspectives for healthcare, supporting improved quality of life.

Therefore, we propose to study the relationship between ADHD traits and creativity, and the effects on wellbeing among adolescents, in more detail in the current project.