This is a linkpost for https://psychotechnology.substack.com/p/a-one-minute-adhd-test-2330
There are some similarities between autism and ADHD that are probably worth exploring, because people can do similar things for different reasons, and then the same solutions may not apply.
For example, if I understand it correctly, ADHD makes it difficult to focus on important things unless they are also interesting. So you can help by e.g. introducing gamification. Autism makes it difficult to do anything when you are overwhelmed by stimuli. Gamification will probably only make it worse, because it is one extra stimulus.
Where a person with ADHD may benefit from a pill, an autist may benefit from a quiet work environment, etc.
I think that the one that I first filled out for my son was maybe a little longer, but not much. As I filled it out I noticed that my own score was high too. That one sheet of paper changed my life—and my son’s.
I was ultimately assessed for four hours over two days. The medication turned out to be a big help, but the biggest change was I had a lot of guilt for my personal failings, which mostly turned out to be symptoms that many people with ADHD experience.
It took a while, but I let go of that shame and guilt. I started using cognitive prostheses (calendar events, timers, physical notes, etc.). Now when I have an ADHD meltdown, it no longer throws me into a depression and self-recrimination.
The drugs have been a great help too. It’s lessened my symptoms, and just made things easier. I’m so thankful for that initial assessment.
If you’ve read the above assessment, and it indicates you should get further testing, DO IT. Your life may be changed too
I'm glad to hear you were able to get help!
The test has a part B, but I'm not including it, since just the 6 questions have a high specificity.
If you’ve read the above assessment, and it indicates you should get further testing, DO IT. Your life may be changed too
100% agree.
There is a six-question test for ADHD that takes a minute to complete. If you score highly on it, you are likely to have ADHD and have a strong reason to talk to a psychiatrist about getting medication. It’s a low-effort way to surface a real problem for yourself — or help someone else surface it.
Here’s the story of how I found the test. If you just want the test, skip this section.
The story
A few years ago when I was moving from Moscow to London I had small leftover amounts of simulants 3-FMC and MDPV from my student days. I’d use them for productivity during exam periods, but I never actually enjoyed them recreationally. Still, I was not going to carry sketchy chemicals across two borders, so I figured I’d experiment with recreational use.
I snorted a small line of 3-FMC and instead of having fun I finally felt clearheaded enough to stop procrastinating on writing a farewell post for my then-colleagues. I knew stimulants are a common treatment for ADHD, so a question popped into my head: do I have ADHD? Yes, stimulants help everyone focus, but the contrast was too striking to ignore.
I took a few online tests, they did suggest ADHD. I then read more about ADHD online and that also suggested I had it. I kept reading and reading wanting full certainty.
There was only one definitive way to find out: get a diagnosis from a psychiatrist.
I was leaving Russia in a few weeks, and Russia bans first-line ADHD medications like amphetamine and methylphenidate. So I decided to wait until I moved to London. After two months after arriving in London, I booked a private assessment with a psychiatrist. Shortly after, I had the 1.5 hour assessment and walked out with an ADHD diagnosis and a prescription for lisdexamfetamine, a prodrug of d-amphetamine.
One of the questionnaires they sent me before the appointment was very short. I later learned that this six-question screener is surprisingly effective.
The test
In the test above, give yourself one point for each answer in the grey square. If you score 4 out 6, you have a strong reason to suspect ADHD and get a proper assessment.
Just the six questions above have a sensitivity of 69% and specificity of 99.5% in the general population. This means:
If we assume 5% of people have ADHD (this source gives 4.4%, and this gives 6%), then:
So if you score 4 out of 6, the chance you actually have ADHD is:
3.5% / (3.5% + 0.5%) = 87.5%.
Why get an assessment
ADHD is highly treatable with meds. First-line treatments for ADHD — stimulants like amphetamine and methylphenidate — work really well. To quote a podcast on psychiatry: “Stimulants are one of the most effective meds in psychiatry” (source), ”Not many treatments in psychiatry have a large effect size. There’s stimulants for ADHD, ketamine for depression” (source).
70-90% of people with ADHD find stimulants effective and experience noticeable quality of life improvements.
And if you don’t want to take stimulants or they don’t work for you, there are non-stimulant medications, such as atomoxetine or Intuniv.
In conclusion
This test is an imperfect screening tool that misses a third of all true ADHD cases and incorrectly flags a small percentage of non-ADHD people. But it has an incredible signal to effort ratio — it only takes a minute to take. If you score above its threshold — you have a strong reason to seek a full assessment.
Even if you are confident you don’t have ADHD, it’d only take you a minute to test your distractible friend. The right medication could be life-changing for them — it certainly was for me.