ADHD :: Adults with ADHD often suffer from multiple psychiatric problems

Adults with a history of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often suffer from multiple psychiatric problems during their lives including depression, anxiety and substance use, according to a study.

Researchers found that in a group of parents with past or current ADHD symptoms, 87 percent also had at least one other psychiatric disorder over their lives, while 56 percent had two or more.

Major depression was the most common diagnosis, affecting 59 percent of the group.

Moreover, compared with parents with no lifetime ADHD symptoms, these parents had higher risks-and in some cases, earlier onset-of a number of psychiatric disorders.

Two childhood behavioral problems, oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder, were also far more common among parents with a history of ADHD. In addition, both of these disorders, as well as major depression, tended to arise at a younger age among ADHD-affected parents.

High rates of co-existing mental health conditions are more than a matter of “personal suffering,” as parenting abilities may suffer as well.