Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder can present challenges for people who have it, but it also may boost creativity.
The key to the increased creativity may be the tendency to let the mind wander, new research suggests.
MORE: Many protein powders and shakes have high lead levels, Consumer Reports finds
Allowing the mind to wander, sometimes called daydreaming or "default mode," is essential for recalling memories and thinking about the future – as well as for problem solving, moral reasoning and novel thinking, according to previous research. But allowing one's brain to take these breaks can be difficult for people so programmed to be productive and busy all the time.
"There's not a place where it's built in to say this is a normative, expected, appreciated part of what it means to be alive, what it means to be well, what it means to be whole and what it means to be thriving," Amber Childs, a psychologist and associate professor at Yale School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry, told the Washington Post last year. Childs was not involved in the new study.
One of the traits of ADHD is the brain straying from the subject at hand, and researchers wanted to see if this meant people with the disorder also tended to be more creative.
The researchers conducted two studies, one in Europe and one in the United Kingdom, involving 750 people. One group had ADHD and a second group did not.
The people with ADHD displayed "classic" symptoms, such as a lack of attention, impulsivity and mind wandering. In both studies, people with ADHD had a greater tendency to let their brains go into default mode.
People who displayed more ADHD traits scored higher on measures of creative achievement than people with fewer ADHD traits. Deliberate mind wandering – letting the mind wander on purpose – also was associated with greater creativity in people with ADHD, the research showed.
The results could have practical implications for the education and treatment of people with ADHD. It could help people with ADHD "harness the benefits" of spontaneous thinking and mind wandering, Han Fang, the lead researcher, said in a news release.
The findings were presented this week at a conference in Amsterdam. The research has not yet been peer reviewed.