Study: Some ADHD Cases May Be Just Maladaptive Dreamers

YERUSHALAYIM – Some people who have been diagnosed as ADHD may benefit more from a diagnosis of maladaptive daydreaming (MD).

That’s the contention of Dr. Nirit Soffer-Dudek of the Consciousness and Psychopathology Laboratory in the Department of Psychology at Ben Gurion University of the Negev.

MD is a condition whereby people slip into involved highly detailed and realistic daydreams that can last hours at the cost of normal functioning. It has not yet been recognized as a formal psychiatric syndrome.

However, Soffer-Dudek, an expert on the syndrome, is hoping to get MD added to the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM VI), by promoting rigorous research on the subject. 

“Some individuals who become addicted to their fanciful daydreams experience great difficulty in concentrating and focusing their attention on academic and vocational tasks, yet they find that an ADHD diagnosis and the subsequent treatment plan does not necessarily help them. Formally classifying MD as a mental disorder would enable psychological practitioners to better assist many of their patients,” she says.

Previous studies found high levels of ADHD in those also presenting with MD, thereby raising the question of whether MD was separate from ADHD.

In the current study, a BGU-Haifa University project, researchers evaluated 83 adults diagnosed with ADHD for inattention symptoms, MD, depression, loneliness, and self-esteem. Of those, about 20% met the proposed diagnostic criteria for MD, with significantly higher rates of depression, loneliness, and lowered self-esteem, compared to those with ADHD that did not meet criteria for MD.