Relationships between creativity and ADHD: a systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15517/ap.v40i141.63108Keywords:
ADHD, Creativity, Divergent thinking, Creative thinking, Scoping ReviewAbstract
Abstract. Objective. To conduct a systematic review of the literature on the relationships between Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and creativity. Method: The existing literature was analyzed from 2004 to 2024 by means of a search in different electronic databases using the selected keywords in both Spanish and English. A total of 10 studies were identified, including a total of 380 children, adolescents and adults from clinical groups and 312 from control groups. Results. The studies analyzed suggest that creativity is not uniform across individuals with ADHD and varies as influenced by a dynamic interaction between ADHD presentation, life stage, pharmacological treatment, the specific type of creativity assessed, and the approach from which it is analyzed. This suggests the need for personalized interventions to maximize the creative potential of these individuals.
Downloads
References
Abraham, A., Windmann, S., Siefen, R., Daum, I., & Güntürkün, O. (2006). Creative thinking in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Child Neuropsychology, 12(2), 111-123. https://doi.org/10.1080/09297040500320691 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09297040500320691
Aliabadi, B., Davari-Ashtiani, R., Khademi, M., & Arabgol, F. (2016). Comparison of creativity between children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A case-control study. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry, 11(2), 99-103. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27437006/
American Psychiatric Association. (2014). Manual de diagnóstico y estadístico de los trastornos mentales (5a ed., TR). American
Psychiatric Association.
Ayano, G., Demelash, S., Gizachew, Y., Tsegay, L., & Alati, R. (2023). The global prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents: An umbrella review of meta-analyses. Journal of affective disorders, 339, 860-866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.07.071 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.07.071
Barkley, R. A. (1990). A theory of ADHD: Inhibition, executive functions, self control, and time. En R. A. Barkley (Ed.), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders: A Handbook for Diagnosis and Treatment (pp. 225-262). Guilford Press.
Boot, N., Nevicka, B., & Baas, M. (2017). Subclinical symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are associated with specific creative processes. Personality and Individual Differences, 114, 73-81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2017.03.050 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2017.03.050
Carballal, M., Gago, A., Ares, J., del Río, M., García, C., Goicoechea, A., & Pena, J. (2018). Prevalencia de trastornos del neurodesarrollo, comportamiento y aprendizaje en Atención Primaria. Anales de Pediatría, 89(3), 153-161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anpedi.2017.10.007
Carson, S. H., Peterson, J. B., & Higgins, D. M. (2003). Decreased latent inhibition is associated with increased creative achievement in high-functioning individuals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(3), 499–506. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.3.499 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.3.499
Cerván, R. L., & Pérez, J. F. R. (2017). Modelo teórico del Trastorno por Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad I: definición operativa. Electronic Journal of Research in Education Psychology, 8(22), 1303-1338. https://doi.org/10.25115/ejrep.v8i22.1417 DOI: https://doi.org/10.25115/ejrep.v8i22.1417
Cramond, B. (1994). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Creativity—What is the Connection? Journal of Creative Behavior, 28, 193-210. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2162-6057.1994.tb01191.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2162-6057.1994.tb01191.x
Girard-Joyal, O., & Gauthier, B. (2022). Creativity in the predominantly inattentive and combined presentations of ADHD in adults. Journal of Attention Disorders, 26(9), 1187-1198. https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547211060547 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547211060547
González-Carpio, G. (2017). La creatividad en los niños con trastorno por déficit de atención con hiperactividad (Tesis de doctorado, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha).
González-Carpio, G & Serrano, J. P. (2016). Medication and creativity in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Psicothema, 28(1), 20-25. https://doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2015.126 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2015.126
González-Carpio, G., Serrano, J. P., & Nieto, M. (2017). Creativity in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Psychology, 8(3), 319–328. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2017.83019 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2017.83019
Grañana, N. (2017). Clínica de trastornos de atención y memoria. En N. Fejerman y N. Grañana (Eds.), Neuropsicología infantil. Paidós.
Guilford, J. P. (1967). The Nature of Human Intelligence. McGraw-Hill.
Healey, D., & Rucklidge, J. J. (2005). An exploration into the creative abilities of children with ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders, 8(3), 88-95. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054705277198 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054705277198
Healey, D., & Rucklidge, J. J. (2006). An investigation into the psychosocial functioning of creative children: The impact of ADHD symptomatology. Journal of Creative Behavior, 40(4), 243-264. https://doi.org/10.1080/09297040600806086 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2162-6057.2006.tb01276.x
Kaufman, J. C. (2012). Counting the muses: development of the Kaufman domains of creativity scale (K-DOCS). Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 6(4), 298–308. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029751?urlappend=%3Futm_source%3Dresearchgate.net%26utm_medium%3Darticle DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029751
Lüdeke, S., Linderkamp, F., & Cevani, I. (2019). Differenzielle Analysen zum Zusammenhang zwischen Kreativität und ADHS bei Kindern und Jugendlichen. Kindheit und Entwicklung, 28(2), 105-115. https://doi.org/10.1026/0942-5403/a000280 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1026/0942-5403/a000280
Mahdi, S., Viljoen, M., Massuti, R., Selb, M., Almodayfer, O., Karande, S., de Vries, P. J., Rohde, L., & Bölte, S. (2017). An international qualitative study of ability and disability in ADHD using the WHO-ICF framework. European Child y Adolescent Psychiatry, 26, 1219-1231. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-017-0983-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-017-0983-1
Mariño, M. C., Ageitos, A. G., Alvarez, J. A., del Río Garma, M., Cendón, C. G., Castaño, A. G., y Nieto, J. P. (2018). Prevalencia de trastornos del neurodesarrollo, comportamiento y aprendizaje en Atención Primaria. Anales de Pediatría, 89, 153-161. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ANPEDI.2017.10.007 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anpedi.2017.10.007
McBride, M., Appling, C., Ferguson, B., Gonzalez, A., Schaeffer, A., Zand, A., Wang, D., Sam, A., Hart, E., Tosh, A., Fontcha, I., Parmacek, S., & Beversdorf, D. (2021). Effects of stimulant medication on divergent and convergent thinking tasks related to creativity in adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Psychopharmacology, 238(12), 3533-3541. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-021-05970-0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-021-05970-0
Rhodes, M. (1961). An analysis of creativity. Phi Delta Kappan, 42(7), 305–310. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://ead.ufpa.br/pluginfile.php/504500/mod_folder/content/0/Leituras%20B%C3%A1sicas/Leitura_05.pdf
Runco, M. A., & Jaeger, G. J. (2012). The standard definition of creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 24(1), 92-96. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2012.650092 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2012.650092
Sang, B., Yu, J., Zhang, Z., & Yu, J. (2002). A comparative study of the creative thinking and academic adaptivity of ADHD and normal children. Psychological Science, 25, 31-33.
Sayal, K., Prasad, V., Daley, D., Ford, T., & Coghill, D. (2018). ADHD in children and young people: prevalence, care pathways, and service provision. The lancet psychiatry, 5(2), 175-186. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2215-0366(17)30167-0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30167-0
Stolte, M., Trindade-Pons, V., Vlaming, P., Jakobi, B., Franke, B., Kroesbergen, E. H., Baas, M.,& Hoogman, M. (2022). Characterizing creative thinking and creative achievements in relation to symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.909202 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.909202
Ten, W., Tseng, C. C., Chiang, Y. S., Wu, C. L., & Chen, H. C. (2020). Creativity in children with ADHD: Effects of medication and comparisons with normal peers. Psychiatry Research, 284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2019.112680 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2019.112680
Tricco, A. C., Lillie, E., Zarin, W., O'Brien, K. K., Colquhoun, H., Levac, D., Moher, D., Peters, M. D. J., Horsley, T., Weeks, L., Hempel, S., Akl, E. A., Chang, C., McGowan, J., Stewart, L., Hartling, L., Aldcroft, A., Wilson, K., Garritty, C., . . . Straus, S. E. (2018). PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR): Checklist and Explanation. Annals of Internal Medicine, 169(7), 467–473. https://doi.org/10.7326/M18-0850 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7326/M18-0850
White, H. A., & Shah, P. (2011). Creative style and achievement in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Personality and Individual Differences, 50(5), 673-677. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2010.12.015 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2010.12.015
Yeung, J., & Bautista, A. (2024). Definitions of Creativity by Kindergarten Stakeholders: An Interview Study Based on Rhodes' 4P Model. Creativity. Theories-Research-Applications, 11(2), 1-24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ctra-2024-0008
Zabelina, D. L., Friedman, N. P., & Andrews-Hanna, J. (2019). Unity and diversity of executive functions in creativity. Consciousness and Cognition, 68, 47-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2018.12.005 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2018.12.005
Zaragoza-Zayas, M., Echegoyen-Sanz, Y., & Martin-Ezpeleta, A. (2023). La Creatividad en Niños y Niñas con el Trastorno del Espectro Autista (TEA) y con el Trastorno de Atención y/o Hiperactividad (TDAH). Una Revisión Sistemática. Multidisciplinary Journal of Educational Research, 13(2), 114-142. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=9018353 DOI: https://doi.org/10.17583/remie.11143
Zhang, W., Sjoerds, Z., & Hommel, B. (2020). Metacontrol of human creativity: The neurocognitive mechanisms of convergent and divergent thinking. NeuroImage, 210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116572 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116572
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Lic. Abril Alle, Liliana Bakker, Josefina Rubiales (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivativeWorks 4.0 Unported license




