ADHD & Hyper-Focus

This commentary examines the nature of and evidence for a frequently cited benefit of ADHD, especially in adults – that being “hyper-focusing (HF).” Despite its widespread belief, this relationship has not been explored much in the scientific literature, with less than 8 studies being identified. The results are conflicting, depending on whether the study used people who just had high symptoms of ADHD, and not the disorder, compared to studies of clinically diagnosed individuals who had the full disorder (symptoms and impairments). In general, there does seem to be a significant relationship between ADHD and HF when ADHD is measured as rated symptoms. But in clinically diagnosed people the results are conflicting, with one study finding the relationship and another not. And while HF is often presented as a benefit or gift of ADHD, there are suggestions in some studies that it also has a more negative side, being related to risk for internet addiction and certain types of offending behavior. So, the claim that ADHD is definitely linked to hyper-focusing and that it is a positive trait is not definitively established at this time. More research is clearly needed but such claims of HF as being widespread among those with ADHD, and entirely a benefit, cannot be taken on face value as an established fact. I explore this issue in three videos.

Part I explores the claims about hyper-focus in those with ADHD as well as an excellent review of the concept of hyper-focus and its overlap with those of "flow" and "being in the zone." This review from 2019 could find just 1 study about hyper-focus in ADHD. In Part II, I explore other studies.

ADDitude.com article on hyper-focusing:
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Research review on hyperfocusing by Ashinoff et al. (2019). Psychological Research:
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Hyperfocusing and ADHD in college students. Grotewiel et al. (2022). Current Psychology.
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Hyperfocusing in adult ADHD. Hupfeld et al. (2018). ADHD (journal)
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Hyperfocusing as a dimension of adult ADHD. Ozel-Kizil et al. (2016). Research in Developmental Disabilitites.
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Testing the relation between ADHD and hyperfocus experiences. Groen et al. (2020). Research in Developmental Disabilities:
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Hyperfocus and internet addiction. Ishii et al. (2023). Frontiers in Psychiatry.
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Hyperfocus and offending behavior: a systematic review. Worthington & Wheeler (2023). The Journal of Forensic Practice.
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