ADHD is often comorbid with other mental health or neurological disorders, such as depression, anxiety, Tourettes syndrome, and learning disabilities. These comorbidities can present challenges in treatment, as some medications or protocols may be contraindicated. Inaccurate diagnoses and the possibility of causing harm through inappropriate treatment are also concerns. Adults with ADHD may continue to struggle with comorbidities, including depression, anxiety, and drug and alcohol abuse. Without a full understanding of an individual’s history, treatment of ADHD comorbidities may be ineffective or misleading.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is estimated to be accompanied by, or comorbid with, other mental health or neurological disorders in approximately 60-80% of all ADHD cases. Comorbidities of ADHD include emotional problems such as depression and anxiety, neurological disorders such as Tourettes syndrome, as well as learning disabilities and even enuresis, more commonly known as bed-wetting. In many cases, ADHD comorbidities can present challenges to mental health professionals, as certain ADHD medications or treatment protocols may be contraindicated in the treatment of comorbid conditions. Another factor to consider in treatment is that some comorbidities of ADHD can be caused by the social stresses of living with ADHD.
In children, common comorbidities of ADHD include a variety of behavior problems, which may be diagnosed as conduct disorder or oppositional defiant disorder, although the behaviors may be more a manifestation of a child’s hyperactivity than anything else. Depression and anxiety are other common comorbid conditions that can be the result of social isolation or difficulties in relationships with parents, teachers, and authority figures. Chronic bedwetting, a common comorbidity with ADHD, may be a result of this anxiety and stress. Even more challenging is the issue of inaccurate diagnoses and the possibility of causing more harm through inappropriate treatment. For example, some ADHD symptoms, including inattention and irritability, can also be symptoms of autism, Asperger’s syndrome, or biopolar disorder. In the latter case there is a risk of exacerbating the condition through common pharmaceutical treatments for ADHD, which often involve the use of stimulant medications.
Adults who had ADHD as children may continue to show symptoms of comorbid ADHD and, in some cases, may develop new conditions, possibly due to traumatic events and low self-esteem caused by academic and social difficulties. Individuals with adult attention deficit disorder may continue to struggle with depression and anxiety and may self-medicate through drug and alcohol use and abuse. These clients can prove difficult to treat by doctors and therapists, particularly if their ADHD was not diagnosed in childhood. Some adults find that their ADHD symptoms diminish over time, so a mental health professional may not diagnose the condition and therefore may not have a full understanding of the individual’s history. Without this information, treatment of that client’s ADHD comorbidities may be ineffective or misleading, as the clinician does not understand that the condition is comorbid with a long-standing developmental disorder.
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