COME on! - What does a wandering mind lead to? (Version 1)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Online survey investigating the relationship between ADHD, mind wandering, creativity and occupational and educational outcomes
IRAS ID
195655
Contact name
Florence Mowlem
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder that often persists into adulthood and is associated with functional impairments. Therefore, it is important to understand more about the associated long-term outcomes in individuals with ADHD. Recently in our research group, we have begun looking at the phenomenon of mind wandering in ADHD and have found that excessive and uncontrolled mind wandering appears to be a common co-occurring feature of adult ADHD that has specific implications for the impairment experienced by individuals in their daily lives. Mind wandering has also been linked with educational problems. Nevertheless, mind wandering may confer functional benefit in some circumstances, and an association between both ADHD and mind wandering with creativity has been described in the literature. This research is specifically interested in the educational and occupational outcomes of individuals with ADHD, and we wish to gain more understanding about the relationship of ADHD traits to individuals’ educational and occupational profiles, and creativity, as well as the role mind wandering my play in the disorder.
We will conduct a large-scale online survey that will enable us to collect information from a large number of individuals (n = ~ 1000, with no maximum limit) in the general population, as well as a clinical population of adults diagnosed with ADHD, to explore the relationship between ADHD symptomatology (including mind wandering) and these various outcomes. We also wish to explore any gender differences that may underlie such relationships; in childhood, findings show that ADHD is more prevalent in males than females, but in adulthood this gender ratio appears to balance out. When investigating outcomes in ADHD, it is important to look for any gender differences, which may ultimately provide better information regarding the aetiology of the disorder.
REC name
East of England - Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/EE/0226
Date of REC Opinion
31 May 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion