A doctor has developed a quiz designed to help people who suspect they might have ADHD.
ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is defined by patterns of behavior. People with the neurodevelopmental condition typically display a continuous pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with daily functioning and development.
In the US, more than 15 million adults - roughly 1 in 17 - have been diagnosed, according to a study cited by The Independent. Meanwhile, in the UK, between three and four percent of adults are thought to have ADHD, according to NHS figures.
Men are more frequently diagnosed with ADHD, but women tend to experience the same type, number, and severity of symptoms.
Experts have suggested that women are more likely to show inattentive symptoms, including difficulties with concentration, organisation, and memory, while men and boys are more commonly found with hyperactive or impulsive symptoms, which can be easier to identify.
Dr Ali Ajaz, a consultant psychiatrist based in London, has created an 11-question quiz designed to help people see if they may have ADHD.
He noted that diagnostic criteria are often “biased against women in general,” suggesting that the quiz could be particularly helpful for women who suspect they might have ADHD, as well as men.
In the quiz, which was shared by the Daily Record, participants are asked to score themselves between one and five points for each question, with one meaning “very rarely” and five meaning “very often.”
Here are the 11 questions:
- Are you clueless to how others manage to lead consistent, regular lives?
- Are you clueless to how others manage to lead consistent, regular lives?
- Do you have trouble controlling what you spend your money on?
- Do you find a request for just one more thing at the end of the day emotionally triggering?
- Do you feel like you are passing for a normal person, but really feel like an imposter inside?
- Do you feel you have better ideas than others, but are just unable to organise them enough to act upon them?
- Have you ever been thought of as selfish because you don’t write thank you notes or send birthday cards?
- Do you feel like you are always on the go like a tornado or just slobbing around like a couch potato, but never in between?
- Do you think twice about having people over to your home because you’re ashamed of the mess?
- Do your friends or family call you a slob, or just simply very spacey?
- Is all your time taken up just holding your life together with time for fun or relaxation?
According to the health professional, “if you score over 35, it’s possible that you might have ADHD".
However, he recommends speaking to a doctor “about a specialist referral,” as adult diagnoses for ADHD are made by specialists and cannot be confirmed unless symptoms have been present since childhood, given that ADHD is not currently considered to develop in adults.
It is not the type of condition that can be self-diagnosed, and Dr Ajaz’s quiz is intended as a tool for reflection rather than a formal diagnostic test.