ADHD May Be Linked to Depression, Suicide

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ADHD May Be Linked to Depression, Suicide

Study Shows Girls With ADHD May Be at Higher Risk

By Mann

WebMD Health News

Oct. 4, 2010 -- Children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

(ADHD) at ages 4-6 face greater risks for depression and suicide at ages 9-18,

and this risk may be more pronounced among girls, a study shows.

“The importance of this study is simply that it confirms that ADHD in children

is not something to take lightly,” says B. Lahey, PhD, a professor of

epidemiology at the University of Chicago in Illinois, in an email.

The study is published in the October issue of the Archives of General

Psychiatry.

ADHD is a behavioral disorder characterized by difficulty paying attention,

impulsive behaviors, and hyperactivity. Up to 37% of adults with ADHD are also

depressed, and studies have shown that when major depression occurs with ADHD,

it starts earlier, lasts longer, and is often more severe than when it occurs on

its own.

The new study comprised 125 kids diagnosed with ADHD when they were 4 to 6 years

old and 123 ADHD-free kids for comparison. Researchers followed the children

until they turned 18.

Children diagnosed with ADHD between the ages of 4 and 6 were at greater risk

for depression between the ages of 9 and 18. Additionally, 12% of children and

adolescents with ADHD and 1.6% of the ADHD-free kids said they had a specific

suicide plan at least once during this time period.

More than 18% of children and adolescents with ADHD and 5.7% of their

counterparts without ADHD attempted suicide at least once during the follow-up

period.

Kids with ADHD who were most at risk for suicide or depression were girls,

children, or adolescents whose mom was depressed, and those who displayed a lot

of anxiety and behavioral issues.

Researchers categorized ADHD into three subtypes: inattentiveness,

hyperactivity, and/or a combination of both. Those children with ADHD who

exhibited a combination of inattention and hyperactivity were at increased risk

for depression and attempted suicide, while children who experienced only

inattentiveness were at risk for depression. ADHD marked by hyperactivity only

was a risk factor for suicide attempts, but not depression.

" These findings suggest that it is possible to identify children with ADHD at

very young ages who are at very high risk for later depression and suicidal

behavior, " the researchers conclude.

Alec L. , PsyD, professor of clinical psychiatry and behavioral sciences

and the chief of child and adolescent psychology at Montefiore Medical

Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, says in an email that

this study supports other research showing that maternal depression and certain

emotional and behavioral problems in early childhood help predict adolescent

depression and suicide risk.

“Young children diagnosed with more severe forms of ADHD appear to be at risk

for depression,” says. “Parents and clinicians should remember to conduct

periodic depression and suicide assessments of children and adolescents

diagnosed with ADHD. "

There is no clear-cut consensus on how ADHD may increase risk of depression or

suicide, but some theories do exist. “Some youth with ADHD, especially when

undiagnosed or when poorly managed clinically, exhibit difficulties in academic,

social, and familial functioning and significant and persistent impairment in

these domains naturally can contribute to depression,” says .

Grcevich, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Family Center by

the Falls in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, agrees: “We know that children and adolescents

with ADHD can have significant academic and social problems, and parents should

make sure that their kids are getting proper treatment for ADHD so that these

functional impairments don’t escalate to the point that they put kids at greater

risk for depression.”