by Vittoria D'Alessio,University of Bath

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Adults with ADHD who recognize and regularly use their personal strengths report better well-being, improved quality of life and fewer mental health difficulties, according to a new international study.

During October's ADHD Awareness Month, which this year focuses on "the many faces of ADHD," researchers from the University of Bath, King's College London, and Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands have delivered the first large-scale study to quantify psychological strengths in ADHD.

The study, published inPsychological Medicine, compared 200 adults with ADHD and 200 adults without ADHD on how much they identified with 25 positive traits—including creativity, humor, spontaneity and hyperfocus—defined by researchers as "things [they] do well or best."

While ADHD is often associated with challenges like impulsivity, forgetfulness and inattention, the new research highlights an important shift: the value of recognizing and leveraging strengths.

Luca Hargitai, lead researcher, from the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath said, "These exciting findings give us an indication of which positive qualities may be tied to ADHD and thus can be considered ADHD-related strengths. It can be really empowering to recognize that, while ADHD is associated with various difficulties, it does have several positive aspects."

Participants with ADHD more strongly endorsed 10 strengths than their neurotypical peers, including:

Despite long-standing employment, relationship and mental health challenges often experienced by adults with ADHD, the study found that they were just as likely as their neurotypical counterparts to recognize and use their personal strengths in daily life.

Crucially, across both groups, those who knew more about their own strengths and used them more often reported:

Relationships between strengths knowledge and life outcomes according to group status. Credit:Psychological Medicine(2025). DOI: 10.1017/s0033291725101232

Dr. Punit Shah, senior author and Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Bath said, "Our findings highlight that knowing that we have certain skills and positive qualities at our disposal and using these strengths where appropriate can be beneficial for our well-being. This might sound obvious, but now that our research confirms this hypothesis, we can start designing psychological supports with this fresh evidence."

The findings offer support for strengths-based interventions inmental health services—an approach increasingly used in autism services but underexplored for ADHD. These could include psychoeducational strategies, coaching, and tailored therapies that help individuals identify and apply their strengths.

Dr. Shah added, "The next step now is to investigate whether interventions that promote the recognition and use of personal strengths can offer tangible improvements in mental well-being for adults with ADHD. People with ADHD and other neurodivergences have been calling for this for a long time and we are excited to have some of the first research to support this."

Senior author Assistant Professor Martine Hoogman from Radboud University Medical Center, Netherlands, said, "Research on ADHD-related strengths is still in its early stages. Most studies ask only people with ADHD about their strengths, but we also asked neurotypical people. We found that people without ADHD recognize many of the same strengths, though only those with ADHD endorse some of them. This helps us better understand ADHD strengths.

"It's important to educate people with ADHD not just about challenges, but also about their potential strengths to improve quality of life and reduce risks in work or education."

More information: Luca D. Hargitai et al, The role of psychological strengths in positive life outcomes in adults with ADHD, Psychological Medicine (2025). DOI: 10.1017/s0033291725101232 Journal information: Psychological Medicine

Provided by University of Bath