which found that adults with ADHD in general are five times more likely to attempt suicide than are their neurotypical peers . The correlation between ADHD and suicidality, the researchers say, is largely explained by chronic comorbid depression or anxiety — the strongest risk factors.
“That anxiety and depression account for the bulk of suicidality does not invalidate the importance in women with ADHD, as anxiety and depression frequently co-occur with ADHD,” said Timothy E. Wilens, M.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, upon review of the Canadian study. “Hence, the frequent comorbid presentation of ADHD continues to be shown to increase the risk of suicidality.
Notably, the study did not investigate the relationship between ADHD treatment and self-harm, however it did note that “studies have suggested that medication may be a protective factor against suicide-related behavior among those with ADHD.” “There have been a number of large, registry, international studies that have shown that pharmacotherapy of ADHD with stimulants, for example, reduces the risk for the development of major depression; and of suicidality,” Wilens added.
“It is possible that misdiagnosis and undertreatment and/or delayed treatment, due to referral bias favoring males and differences in clinical presentation of females with ADHD, are also contributing to the observed gender discrepancy,” wrote the researchers, suggesting that women with ADHD face significantly worse mental health outcomes due to misdiagnosis and late treatment — both the results of long-standing ADHD misconceptions.
For this study, researchers reviewed data from a Canadian Mental Health Survey of 21,744 adults, 529 of whom had reported an ADHD diagnosis for ADHD. All participants were asked to report suicide attempts; strong positive correlations were found between self-harm and ADHD, as well as Adverse Childhood Experiences such as chronic parental domestic violence, comorbid mood and
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