Researchers studied how adults with ADHD feel about having the condition. They looked at three separate groups of adults who reported or had a confirmed ADHD diagnosis. The first group had 84 people (mean age 24.05), the second had 125 people whose diagnosis was confirmed through an interview (mean age 24.82), and the third had 126 people recruited online across 24 countries (mean age 27.82). To measure attitudes, the team used a new questionnaire called the PATAS, which gave steady scores when people took it twice (test-retest r=.89).
Across all three groups, people with more frequent ADHD symptoms overall tended to feel more positive about their ADHD. When symptoms were split into two types, the pattern differed. More frequent hyperactive and impulsive symptoms were linked to more positive attitudes in every group (posterior medians 0.43, 0.34, and 0.57). The link with inattention symptoms was not steady. It leaned negative in two groups but was near zero in the third (−0.19, 0.06, and −0.39).
The study only looked at adults, and it relied on people describing their own symptoms and feelings. Most of the questionnaire's items matched hyperactivity and impulsivity more than inattention, and none covered hyperfocus. The reasons behind the pattern are not clear.
Source: Gili Katabi, Megan Huss, Steve Lukito, et al.. ADHD Individuals’ Positivity About Their Condition Varies by Their Levels of Hyperactivity/Impulsivity Versus Inattention Symptoms. Journal of Attention Disorders (2026). doi:10.1177/10870547261463814
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