Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental condition that is typically diagnosed during childhood. ADHD can also be diagnosed in adulthood, and 6% of adults in the United States have ADHD. The condition can affect how you think, process information, regulate impulses, and interact with your environment.
Even if you didn’t get a diagnosis in childhood, knowing whether you have ADHD as an adult can help you better understand yourself and get support if you need it, like accommodations from your employer.
Only a healthcare provider, like a mental health professional, can make an ADHD diagnosis. The diagnosis has several steps, and it may take some time to go through the diagnostic process and get an answer.
You can take this short quiz as a first step to see if you might benefit from getting an evaluation for ADHD.
This test is meant for adults who suspect they have ADHD symptoms. You may not have been diagnosed or tested as a child, but you feel you match some of the descriptions you’ve read about ADHD. The test can be used as a starting point for adults to decide whether or not they may need support from a mental health professional to explore an ADHD diagnosis.
The questions in this test are based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), a tool healthcare providers use for diagnosing mental health conditions.
The DSM-5 outlines potential symptoms of ADHD. Some symptoms relate to inattention, and others relate to hyperactivity/impulsivity. Healthcare providers use the DSM-5 criteria to determine whether you have enough symptoms to meet the diagnosis requirements of ADHD.
If you have ADHD, you may have issues with attention or hyperactivity/impulsivity. Most commonly, people with ADHD have problems with both. Because of that, this test asks about symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity.
There are three types of ADHD:
- Predominantly inattentive: Problems with regulating attention
- Predominantly hyperactive/impulsive: Problems with regulating impulsive behavior or being hyperactive
- Combined: Problems with attention and hyperactivity/impulsivity
To be diagnosed with combined ADHD—the most common type—people age 17 or older have to experience five or more symptoms of each type for at least six months.
Inattentive symptoms are tied to attention and focus. Inattentive symptoms may cause someone to:
- Miss details when doing tasks for school, work, or other activities
- Have a hard time paying attention when working, having conversations, or performing tasks
- Not appear to listen when someone is speaking directly to the person
- Have trouble following instructions or finishing work, chores, or assignments
- Start tasks and get easily distracted
- Not be able to do tasks or activities in order
- Regularly lose important items like school supplies, books, keys, wallets, credit cards, and cell phones
- Avoid things that require you to focus, like research, paperwork, homework, or heavy reading
- Get easily distracted by thoughts or something in the environment
- Forget things during daily activities
Hyperactive/impulsive symptoms are tied to having lots of energy and being unable to control impulses in different situations. Someone with hyperactive/impulsive symptoms may:
- Frequently move around while sitting
- Get up when sitting is socially expected, like working in the office
- Feel restless often
- Have trouble doing activities, like hobbies, quietly
- Talk a lot
- Interrupt people during conversations
- Have trouble waiting a turn to play a game or speak
You may find that your symptoms worsen as you experience more demanding times and situations during adulthood.
Researchers don’t know the exact cause of ADHD. The condition may be linked to genetics. Your physical and social environment growing up could also play a role. People likely develop ADHD due to a combination of factors, including genetics and environment.
Risk Factors for ADHD
Some things can increase a person’s likelihood of having ADHD. These include:
- Genetics (or family history)
- The birthing parent’s use of alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy
- Exposure to chemicals, like lead, when you were in the womb or young
- Social environments, such as parental mental health issues or instability at home when growing up
- A head injury in childhood
There’s no one test to see if someone has ADHD. A healthcare provider may perform several evaluations to rule out other issues or conditions. They will also ask about your daily challenges, medical history, family medical history, and childhood school experience. They may also interview your partner or family members.
The provider will use all of the information and evaluations to see if you meet the criteria for ADHD laid out in the DSM-5. People aged 17 or older must demonstrate five or more symptoms of each type of ADHD to get a diagnosis of combined ADHD. The symptoms must:
- Begin before age 12
- Last for at least six months
- Occur in multiple settings (home, work, etc.)
- Cause issues in social situations or functioning at work
ADHD isn’t a condition that can be or needs to be cured, but medications and strategies can make things easier.
If you’re experiencing inattention or hyperactive/impulsive symptoms that interfere with your work, social, or home life, you may want to seek support from a healthcare professional. They can determine whether what you are experiencing is due to ADHD and get you any appropriate treatment or support.
