Purpose
This checklist helps you prepare for an adult ADHD assessment with SetMind.
ADHD assessment usually explores current symptoms, childhood history, functional impact, medical history, mental health history, substance use, and other possible explanations for your difficulties.
Please complete this checklist before your appointment where possible.
1. Write down your current ADHD-related difficulties
Please note examples of difficulties with:
- Attention and concentration
- Starting tasks
- Finishing tasks
- Procrastination
- Organisation
- Time management
- Forgetfulness
- Losing items
- Restlessness
- Impulsivity
- Emotional regulation
- Interrupting or talking excessively
- Managing responsibilities
- Work, study, home, or relationship functioning
Specific examples are more useful than general statements.
Examples:
- "I miss deadlines even when I care about the task."
- "I start projects but struggle to finish them."
- "I lose track of conversations."
- "I underestimate how long things will take."
- "I feel internally restless even when sitting still."
2. Think about childhood symptoms
ADHD symptoms usually begin in childhood, even if they were not recognised at the time.
Please think about whether, as a child, you had difficulties with:
- Paying attention in class
- Daydreaming
- Forgetting homework
- Losing belongings
- Messy desk, room, or school bag
- Interrupting others
- Talking too much
- Sitting still
- Acting before thinking
- Emotional outbursts
- Being described as lazy, careless, disruptive, sensitive, disorganised, or underachieving
- Performing below your potential
- Needing frequent reminders or supervision
3. Gather school or childhood evidence if available
If available, please upload:
- Primary school reports
- High school reports
- Teacher comments
- Parent letters or notes
- Educational assessments
- Speech, occupational therapy, or psychology reports
- University support documents
- Old report cards describing attention, behaviour, organisation, or effort
Helpful comments may include phrases such as:
- "Easily distracted"
- "Needs to apply themselves"
- "Does not work to potential"
- "Talks too much"
- "Often forgets homework"
- "Disorganised"
- "Needs reminders"
- "Careless mistakes"
- "Can do well when interested"
Do not worry if you cannot find school records. They are helpful but not always available.
4. Consider asking an informant
An ADHD assessment may be strengthened by information from someone who knows you well.
This could be:
- Parent
- Sibling
- Partner
- Close friend
- Adult child
- Long-term housemate
- Teacher or mentor
- Someone who knew you as a child
They may be asked about:
- Your childhood behaviour
- Current symptoms
- Daily functioning
- Strengths and difficulties
- Changes over time
Please check whether someone suitable would be willing to provide information if requested.
5. Prepare examples across different settings
ADHD symptoms are usually assessed across more than one area of life.
Please think about examples from:
- Work
- Study
- Home
- Relationships
- Parenting
- Finances
- Driving
- Appointments and commitments
- Household tasks
- Health routines
- Social situations
Examples:
- "My house becomes chaotic because I cannot keep routines going."
- "I forget bills until they become urgent."
- "I interrupt my partner even when I try not to."
- "I perform well under crisis pressure but cannot manage routine tasks."
- "I change jobs often because I become bored or overwhelmed."
6. Note coping strategies and masking
Many adults with ADHD develop coping strategies that hide symptoms from others.
Please note whether you rely on:
- Last-minute pressure
- Excessive lists
- Multiple alarms
- Avoidance
- Working much longer hours than others
- Perfectionism
- External accountability
- Crisis-driven productivity
- Overpreparing
- Copying others' routines
- Relying on a partner, parent, assistant, or colleague
- Using caffeine or other substances to function
7. Note character strengths you identify with
ADHD assessments are not only about difficulties. Some individuals with ADHD report character strengths they identify with — these vary between people and are not universal features of ADHD. Please note any of the following that apply to you:
- Creativity
- High energy at times
- Problem-solving
- Periods of intense focus on preferred tasks
- Empathy
- Entrepreneurial thinking
- Performance under pressure
- Big-picture thinking
- Curiosity
- Resilience
- Humour
- Adaptability
8. Prepare mental health information
Symptoms such as anxiety, depression, trauma, sleep problems, burnout, and substance use can overlap with ADHD or occur alongside it.
Please prepare information about:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Panic attacks
- Trauma
- Burnout
- Sleep problems
- Emotional dysregulation
- Substance use
- Eating difficulties
- Mood swings
- Periods of elevated mood or unusually high energy
- Previous diagnoses or treatment
9. Prepare medical and medication information
Please bring or upload information about:
- Current medications
- Previous psychiatric or ADHD medications
- Allergies
- Heart conditions
- Blood pressure issues
- Palpitations or fainting
- Seizures
- Sleep apnoea
- Thyroid problems
- Substance use history
- Medicinal cannabis use
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding status, if relevant
This is especially important if medication may be considered.
10. Stimulant medication considerations
Stimulant medication is not guaranteed and is not usually prescribed at the initial assessment.
Before stimulant treatment is considered, your psychiatrist may require:
- Medical history review
- Current medication review
- Blood pressure and pulse
- Blood tests where appropriate
- ECG where clinically indicated
- GP medical clearance where relevant
- Review of substance use history
- Review of medicinal cannabis use, if applicable
- Prescription monitoring checks
- Assessment of clinical suitability and risk
Patients with current or recent substance use concerns, or current medicinal cannabis use, may not be suitable for stimulant therapy through SetMind.
11. Questions to consider asking
You may want to ask:
- Do my symptoms fit ADHD?
- Could something else explain my symptoms?
- Can ADHD occur with anxiety or depression?
- What treatment options are available?
- Is medication appropriate for me?
- What screening is needed before medication?
- What are the risks and benefits of stimulant medication?
- What non-medication strategies may help?
- What happens after the assessment?
- Will my GP be involved in ongoing care?
Important note
An ADHD assessment is a clinical process. It may require more than one appointment, additional information, questionnaires, collateral history, or review of documents.
Not everyone with attention difficulties has ADHD, and not everyone with ADHD has obvious childhood records. Your psychiatrist will consider the full picture.