Adult ADHD test (ASRS v1.1 screener): a private 2-minute self-check

ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a condition that begins in childhood and affects attention, activity and impulse control. For many people it continues into adult life,⁶ where it can affect relationships and work.²

The ASRS v1.1 screener asks six questions about the past six months.¹ Four are about attention and organisation: finishing the final details of a task, getting things in order, remembering appointments, and putting off tasks that need a lot of thought. Two are about restlessness: fidgeting when you have to sit for a long time, and feeling driven by a motor.

The screener is a first step to see whether a full assessment is worth having. Its authors say it is intended for people aged 18 or older.²

Each question has five answers, from “Never” to “Very Often”. On the official form some answer boxes are shaded, and the result is the number of answers that fall in a shaded box:²

The authors ask that the screener is used without changes, including its scoring rule, so this page keeps the original rule.

A result of 4 or more means your answers match the pattern the screener’s authors link with adult ADHD. It does not mean that ADHD is present. In the general public, many people who screen positive turn out not to have ADHD when they are fully assessed, because problems with attention and restlessness have many possible causes.³ Anxiety, low mood, stress and poor sleep can all make it hard to focus and stay organised.

A result below 4 does not rule ADHD out either, especially if your difficulties have been there since childhood and affect your daily life.

Only a specialist can diagnose ADHD, after a full assessment that looks at your symptoms now, how you were as a child, and how much the symptoms affect work, study and relationships.⁴

Whatever your result, a few practical habits can make daily life easier:

• Write it down. Keep tasks, appointments and bills in one notebook or one phone app.
• Use reminders. Set alarms for appointments and deadlines, with a reminder the day before.
• Break big tasks into small steps, and start with a step that takes five minutes.
• Reduce distractions while you work: silence notifications and put your phone out of reach.
• Protect sleep and stay active, because tiredness makes attention worse.

If ADHD is diagnosed, treatment can help. In clinical trials with adults, medicines prescribed by a specialist reduced the core symptoms, and psychological approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), mindfulness and learning about ADHD helped on some measures; evidence about longer-term results is still limited.⁵ Never start, stop or change a medicine without talking to a doctor.

It is worth seeing a qualified professional — a BMDC-registered psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist — if:

• your result is 4 or more;
• problems with attention, organisation or restlessness have been there since childhood;
• they cause repeated trouble at work, in your studies, with money, while driving or in relationships;
• you also feel low or anxious, sleep badly, or use alcohol or other substances to cope.

To prepare for an assessment, write down examples of your difficulties and how long you have had them. School reports, or a parent or older relative who can describe what you were like as a child, are useful too, because ADHD starts in childhood and a specialist will ask about it.⁴ Care is available in private practice and at public hospitals.

The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS v1.1) was developed by Ronald C. Kessler and colleagues with a World Health Organization workgroup, and published in 2005.¹ The six-question screener is free to use, as long as it is not changed and its copyright notice is shown: © New York University and President and Fellows of Harvard College.

The authors have released official translations in several languages, but not in Bangla. We never translate a validated questionnaire ourselves, so our Bangla page shows the English questions. A Bangla version will be added only when a properly translated and tested version is available.