Physical Fitness Associated With Better Mental Health in Adults With ADHD

Although mental health was worse in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared with neurotypical controls, those with higher cardiorespiratory fitness tended to have better mental health, according to study findings published online ahead of print in the Journal of Attention Disorders.

“While acknowledging the cross-sectional nature of our data, our results suggest that increasing physical fitness may be a promising mental health strategy for adults with ADHD,” wrote corresponding author Michelle Ogrodnik, MSc, and coauthors from McMaster University Department of Kinesiology in Ontario, Canada. “Across both groups, higher cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with less depression, anxiety, and perceived stress symptoms.”

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The study included 36 adults with ADHD and 36 neurotypical adults who served as control subjects. Researchers used the Conner’s Adult ADHD Rating Scale to assess ADHD symptoms, the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale to assess mental health and wellbeing, and the 6-minute walk test and a self-perception question to assess cardiorespiratory fitness.

Mental health outcomes were significantly poorer in adults with ADHD compared with controls, according to the study. Moderate to extremely severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were reported by 50% of adults with ADHD.

“Notably, over 80% of our participants in the ADHD group reported taking medication for their ADHD symptoms (either currently or at some point since their diagnosis), and those currently taking ADHD medication (67%) reported greater anxiety and stress symptoms than those who were not,” researchers wrote. “In contrast, only one participant formally disclosed taking medication for their mental health, suggesting there may be an important treatment gap for mental health in adults with ADHD.”

In both adults with and without ADHD, lower cardiorespiratory fitness was linked with worse depression, anxiety, and stress. Among participants with ADHD, however, those with better cardiorespiratory fitness had significantly lower stress, the study found. Among participants whose ADHD symptoms were less severe, those with better cardiorespiratory fitness had significantly lower depressive symptoms.

“Future research is needed to examine the causal relationship between fitness and mental health in adults with ADHD, while also accounting for individual differences in the severity of both ADHD and mental health symptoms,” researchers wrote.

Reference

Ogrodnik M, Karsan S, Heisz JJ. Mental health in adults with ADHD: examining the relationship with cardiorespiratory fitness. J Atten Disord. Published online March 13, 2023. doi: 10.1177/10870547231158383