ADHD Among High-Level Athletes and Its Potentially Beneficial Role in Athlete Development

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a relatively common neurodevelopmental condition affecting 2.5% of the general adult population. Some researchers have suggested that certain ADHD traits may benefit one’s athletic performance. Therefore, its prevalence might be even higher among athletes, especially high-level athletes. Yet, we know little about how common ADHD is among athletes from different skill levels. In North America, the assessment of ADHD among athletes has relied on medication reports and prior medical diagnoses. However, some adults are unaware of having the condition and, thus, do not have a diagnosis. Using self-reports to assess ADHD in adult athletes may improve our estimation of ADHD rates. In this cross-sectional study, 138 students from a Canadian university above 18 years old answered a survey containing the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS v1.1) along with sports background and demographic questions to investigate the potential prevalence of ADHD among athletes using a standardized self-report scale and to test for skill group differences in ADHD. We found ADHD symptoms were present in adult athletes at a rate approximately 4 times greater than previous studies assessing ADHD through medical reports/diagnoses. Further, we found a higher ADHD rate in intermediate/high-level athletes than low-level athletes. These findings may suggest potential benefits of ADHD for athletes, particularly at higher skill levels, and that ADHD rates among athletes may be underestimated. This study warrants further research to better understand the potential athletic development benefit for athletes with ADHD and contributes to a more comprehensive narrative of ADHD.