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The monotropism hypothesis posits that hyper-focus on interests is core to autistic cognition; moreover, hyper-focus is common in attention dysregulation hyperactivity development (ADHD). However, ADHD is partly defined by susceptibility to distraction, and research has found evidence of attention capture in autism. We investigated hyper-focus in autism and ADHD, its relationship to inattention, and whether it is related to quality of life, hypervigilance, negative repetitive thinking, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. 492 adults (122 ADHD-only, 130 autistic-only, 141 autistic + ADHD, and 99 comparison) completed questionnaires indexing hyper-focus in multiple domains, inattention, and the valence of their hyper-focus experiences. Hyper-focus and inattention were elevated in all neurodivergent groups, and were positively correlated, implying that atypical regulation of attention, sometimes manifesting in hyper-focus and sometimes in inattention, is a trans-diagnostic phenomenon. Hyper-focus predicted poorer global quality of life, more hypervigilance, more negative repetitive thinking, and more symptoms of anxiety and depression; however, positive experiences of hyper-focus mediated an indirect relationship between hyper-focus and greater quality of life, partially attenuating the overall negative association. Indeed, neurodivergent participants not only reported more negative experiences of hyper-focus than controls, but also more positive experiences. Further studies could explore contextual factors influencing whether hyper-focus has positive or negative impacts on daily life.Community AbstractWhat is already known about this topic? Many autistic people support the monotropism theory, which says that hyper-focus on interests is central to autism. Prior research also shows that hyper-focus is common in ADHD. However, it is also the case that at other times autistic and ADHD people can be more likely to become distracted from things they are trying to focus on. What does this paper add? We asked autistic, ADHD, and control (i.e. neither autistic nor ADHD) adults to answer questions about their experiences of hyper-focus in different areas of life. We also asked participants about whether these experiences were good or bad, and we asked about inattention. Moreover, we asked about quality of life and mental health.We found that both autistic and ADHD people had more experiences of both hyper-focus and inattention than control participants. Neurodivergent (autistic and/or ADHD) people said they had both more positive and more negative experiences of hyper-focus than controls, and there were ways that hyper-focus was related to both better and worse quality of life. Hyper-focus was related to experiencing more anxiety, depression, negative repetitive thoughts, and vigilance towards possible threats. Implications Our results emphasize the importance of understanding how attention is allocated in the world of autistic and ADHD individuals. These findings also imply that hyper-focus and inattention are not opposites but may have common roots. Finally, this study shows that hyper-focus can have either positive or negative impacts—but negative impacts were especially prominent. Future research could explore how we could change the world or provide specialized supports to maximize positive and minimize negative impacts.

_eprint: https://doi.org/10.1177/27546330241237883