Adults With ADHD Are More Likely To Have Depression And Anxiety Than Adults With Autism: Study

Adults with high levels of ADHD are more likely to have anxiety and depression than adults with high levels of autistic traits, according to a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a chronic condition marked by an ongoing pattern of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood, and often continues into adulthood. ADHD is estimated to affect between three and nine per cent of the population. Adults with high levels of ADHD are more likely to have anxiety and depression than adults with high levels of autistic traits, according to a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports. 

What is autism?

Autism spectrum disorder, simply called autism, is a neurodevelopmental condition caused by differences in the brain, impacts how a person perceives and socialises with others, resulting in problems in social interaction, communication and learning, and includes limited and repetitive patterns of behaviour.

Led by psychologists at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom (UK), the study is the first to show that ADHD is more predictive of poor mental health outcomes in adults than other neurodevelopmental conditions like autism. 

Relatively less studies on ADHD compared to the amount of research on autism

Not many studies have been conducted on the effects of ADHD on poor mental health. Research has focused more on the impact of autism on depression, anxiety and quality of life, as a result of which people with ADHD have often struggled to access the clinical care needed to cope with their symptoms.

The study authors are hopeful that the findings will trigger new research into ADHD and ultimately improve the mental health outcomes for people with the neurodevelopmental condition. 

ADHD is associated with depression and anxiety

Many people describe the third Monday of January as the gloomiest day of the year, and call it "Blue Monday". In a statement released by the University of Bath, Luca Hargitai, the lead researcher, said on Blue Monday that scientists have long known that autism is linked to anxiety and depression, but ADHD has been somewhat neglected. She added that researchers have also struggled to statistically separate the importance of ADHD and autism for mental health outcomes because of how frequently they occur together. 

She further said that the aim of the study was to precisely measure how strongly ADHD personality traits were linked to poor mental health while statistically accounting for autistic traits. 

The new research, a collaborative effort between the Universities of Bath, Bristol and Cardiff, and King's College London, comes in the same month that two British TV personalities Johnny Vegas and Sue Perkins have opened up about their recent diagnoses of ADHD. 

Hargitai said ADHD affects many people, both children and adults, and the fact that more people are willing to talk about it is to be welcomed. She added that the hope is that with greater awareness will come more research in the area and better resources to support individuals in better managing their mental health. 

How the study was conducted

The authors used a large, nationally representative sample of adults from the UK population, and asked all the participants to complete gold standard questionnaires. One of them was on autistic traits, while the other was on ADHD traits. The participants were asked to respond to statements such as "I frequently get strongly absorbed in one thing" and "How often do you feel overly active and compelled to do things, like you were driven by a motor?"

The ADHD traits were highly predictive of the severity of anxiety and depression symptoms, the study said. This means that the higher the levels of ADHD traits, the more likely a person is to experience severe mental health symptoms. 

The study authors, using innovative analytical techniques, found that having more of an ADHD personality was strongly linked with anxiety and depression than autistic traits. 

Significance of the study

Hargitai said the findings suggest that research and clinical practice must shift some of the focus from autism to ADHD, as this may help to identify those most at risk of anxiety and depression.

This will help take preventive measures to support children and adults with the management of their ADHD symptoms, and have a greater impact on improving people's wellbeing. 

Punit Shah, senior author on the paper, said another important aspect of the new study is that it advances scientific understanding of neurodevelopmental conditions, addresses the shortcomings of previous research, and provides fresh information about the complex links between neurodiversity and mental health in adults. Neurodiversity describes the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in different ways, and there is no "right" way of thinking, learning and behaving, and differences are not viewed as deficits, according to the Harvard Medical School. The links between neurodiversity and mental health in adults are often overlooked. 

Shah said further research is now needed to delve deeper into understanding exactly why ADHD is linked to poor mental health, particularly in terms of the mental processes that might drive people with ADHD traits to engage in anxious and depressive thinking. He added that at the moment, funding for ADHD research, particularly psychological research, is lacking, and this is especially pronounced when one compares it to the relatively high levels of funds directed at autism. 

Shah concluded that the evidence becomes clear that ADHD is not just a childhood condition but persists throughout life, and scientists just adjust their research agendas to better understand ADHD in adulthood.