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ADHD and the Development of Depression: Commentary on the Prevalence, Proposed Mechanisms, and Promising Interventions

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Abstract

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been identified as a significant risk factor for the development of later depression. Furthermore, their comorbid presentation results in greater levels of impairment than either disorder in isolation. Research has pointed to several causal mechanisms by which ADHD co-occurs with depression including the persistence of ADHD symptoms, reward responsivity, and emotion dysregulation as well as parenting/family factors and maternal depression. Stemming from this mechanistic research, interventions have been developed in recent years that aim to prevent depression in youth with ADHD. The Behaviorally Enhancing Adolescents Mood (BEAM) Program and The Integrated Parenting Intervention for ADHD (IPI-A) have both demonstrated promising results. Directions for future research are discussed with an emphasis on neurobiological mechanisms and the dissemination/implementation of interventions to reduce risk for depression among youth with ADHD in community care settings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Michael C. Meinzer & Andrea Chronis-Tuscano

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  1. Michael C. Meinzer
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Correspondence to Andrea Chronis-Tuscano.

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Conflict of Interest

Michael C. Meinzer reports loan payment grant from NIMH.

Andrea Chronis-Tuscano reports grants from NIMH (R03 MH070666-1, R34 MH073567-01A1, R34 MH 099208-01), NIAAA (R34 AA--22133-A1), and McNeil Pediatrics and study drug donation from Shire Pharmaceuticals.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Meinzer, M.C., Chronis-Tuscano, A. ADHD and the Development of Depression: Commentary on the Prevalence, Proposed Mechanisms, and Promising Interventions. Curr Dev Disord Rep 4, 1–4 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40474-017-0106-1

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