Biederman et al. conducted a 10-year case-control prospective study of lifetime prevalence of comorbid psychopathology from adolescence into adulthood.
At follow-up, 112 males with ADHD and 105 males without ADHD were successfully recalled, and 91% and 90% of individuals in the ADHD and control groups, respectively, had reached adulthood (aged ≥18 years).
According to the study data, male patients with ADHD were significantly more likely to have:
· Major psychopathology
· Anxiety disorders
· Antisocial disorders
· Developmental disorders
· Substance-dependence disorders
Case study involving females with ADHD
A similar 11-year case-control study was conducted in females with (n=140) and without (n=122) ADHD. The risk of several psychopathologies was also significantly higher in females with ADHD compared with those without.
Female patients with ADHD were more likely to have:
· Mood disorders
· Anxiety disorders
· Antisocial disorders
· Developmental disorders
· Substance-dependence disorders
· Eating disorders
Some comorbid disorders may be a direct reflection of the impact of ADHD symptoms; for example, poor academic achievement owing to ADHD may lead to anxiety. Additionally, other frequently co-occurring conditions, such as depression, share common environmental risk factors with ADHD.
