What is the purpose of the PATAS study? 

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is present in as many as 5% of children and adults. People with a diagnosis of ADHD experience difficulties with hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention.

Traditionally, studies of ADHD have focused on these difficulties, but increasingly people are recognising the positive aspects related to the condition. For example, people have said that having ADHD helps them to be creative and to have plenty of energy.

But do all people with ADHD have positive attitudes towards their ADHD - and to what extent? With our collaborators, we developed a tool to measure people’s attitudes towards their ADHD. Just like the study title, the measure is called PATAS (Positive Attitude Towards ADHD Scale).

We want to refine this measure and study how positive attitudes about ADHD might relate to other aspects of daily functioning like self-esteem, self-awareness, and mental health.

How are we running the PATAS study?

The study is divided into two stages. In the first stage, we will hold two focus group sessions to refine the PATAS measure. In the second stage, we will conduct a survey involving people with an ADHD diagnosis.

We thank our dedicated team of young adults with ADHD who have contributed their time through our focus groups. With their support we have refined the PATAS measure and are now entering the second stage of the study. We'll assess the strength of PATAS and investigate how positive attitudes towards ADHD may relate to mental health and individual characteristics.

How can you help?

If you are:

• English-speaking

• aged between 18 and 25

• have a diagnosis of ADHD

• and have no clinical diagnosis of learning disability

Then you are one of 150 young adults we are inviting to complete a 30-minute online survey. We'll give you a £10 e-voucher for your participation and offer you the opportunity to make an extra £10 when you complete a brief follow up .

We'll ask for evidence of your ADHD diagnosis before you take part in the study.

Please express your interest in participating in the survey.

Want more info?

Email any questions to patas@kcl.ac.uk for more information about the project. Our researchers Dr Steve Lukito and Mx Eloise Funnell will be happy to address your questions.