ADHD Self Tests
ADHD is one of the most difficult diagnoses to make accurately. ADHD frequently goes undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for years as another condition like anxiety or depression. Genuine ADHD symptoms can also overlap or mimic other conditions, again leading to misdiagnosis. One large national study found that only half of those who genuinely had ADHD were currently treated, because the diagnosis so frequently goes unrecognized by both the individual and the family physician.
Self-tests can be informative and even fun, but they can’t replace the accuracy of meeting with a professional who specializes in ADHD. As national experts recommend, a professional evaluation should include careful interviewing with you and at least one family member/significant other, review of any old records available (e.g. school records), and a well-validated test (which self-tests aren’t). So, if you do some reading or take some self-tests and then have concerns, please do meet with a professional well-trained in ADHD rather than jumping to conclusions one way or the other. You can always take the results of a self-test to review with a professional.
Psych Central’s Adult ADHD Self-Test Hosted by psychiatrists Marc Schwartz, MD and Nicholas Schwartz, MD, this website includes the Jasper-Goldberg ADHD Screening Quiz– a solid, basic self-test for adults.
World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Symptom Checklist The World Health Organization designed this brief, but very helpful tool in conjunction with psychiatrists and researchers from the medical schools at Harvard and New York University.
Amen Clinics Adult ADHD Self-Test Dr. Amen theorizes that up to 7 different subtypes of ADHD may exist, though similar behavioral and medical interventions are appropriate for multiple subtypes.
ADDvance: A Resource for Women and Girls with ADHD offers both a Parents’ ADHD Self-Test for Girls and an ADHD Self-Test for Teenage Girls.