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ADHD Causally Linked With Several Psychiatric Disorders
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is an independent risk factor for major depressive disorder (MDD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anorexia nervosa, and suicide attempt, according to a study published online in BMJ Mental Health.
“The present findings are important for clinicians treating patients with ADHD because they provide a guide as to the mental comorbidities on which to focus preventively and therapeutically during the course of the disease,” wrote first author Christa Meisinger, MD, MPH, and corresponding author Dennis Freuer, PhD, both from the University of Augsburg in Germany.
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The study used Mendelian randomization analysis to identify mental health disorders related to ADHD and to investigate their causal paths. The analysis focused on 7 common psychiatric disorders: MDD, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, anorexia nervosa, and suicide attempt.
The analysis found evidence for a causal link between ADHD and a 28% increased risk of anorexia nervosa. Additionally, a bidirectional association was found between ADHD and MDD: ADHD both caused MDD (9% increased risk) and was caused by MDD (76% increased risk), the research team reported.
After adjusting for MDD, the analysis also found a direct causal link between ADHD and both suicide attempt (30% increased risk) and PTSD (18% increased risk).
The study found no evidence of a causal relationship between ADHD and bipolar disorder, anxiety, or schizophrenia.
“ADHD serves as an early indicator of other mental disorders due to shared psychopathologies,” researchers wrote. “Therefore, it is necessary to monitor patients with ADHD for early signs of mental comorbidities.”
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