In a new study from the University of Toronto, researchers found that one in four adults aged 20-39 with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) had a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
Those with ADHD were four times more likely to have GAD at some point in their life when compared to those without ADHD.
These findings underline how vulnerable adults with ADHD are to generalized anxiety disorders.
In the study, the team examined a nationally representative sample of 6,898 respondents from the Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health aged 20-39, of whom 272 had ADHD and 682 had GAD.
They found several factors that were associated with GAD among those with ADHD. Female respondents with ADHD had nearly five times higher odds of GAD, even after controlling for other covariates.
ADHD has been severely underdiagnosed and undertreated in girls and women.
These findings suggest that women with ADHD may also be more susceptible to experiencing anxiety, emphasizing the need for greater support for women with ADHD.
Adults who had experienced adverse childhood experiences such as childhood sexual or physical abuse or chronic parental domestic violence were three times more likely to have a generalized anxiety disorder.
Sixty percent of those with ADHD who had anxiety disorders had experienced at least one of these adverse childhood experiences.
Other factors associated with GAD among adults with ADHD include having an income below $40,000, having fewer close relationships, and having a lifetime history of major depressive disorder.
The odds of GAD among those with ADHD were six-fold for those with a lifetime history of major depressive disorder.
These results highlight the importance of screening for mental illness and addressing depressive symptoms when providing support to those with ADHD.
If you care about anxiety, please read studies about troubled relationships may double depression and anxiety risks, and why some people are more prone to anxiety.
For more information about mental health, please see recent studies about stress, anxiety or depression? Treatment starts with the right diagnosis and results showing that this TB medication may help fight anxiety and fear.
The study is published in the Journal of Affective Disorders. One author of the study is Esme Fuller-Thomson.
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