Comorbidities
Around 75% of people who are diagnosed with ADHD have at least one other disorder, learning difficulty, or problem that causes them significant problem with day-to-day living.
For this reason, it is important to address the needs of the individual and to look beyond the diagnostic label.
Comorbidities for young people with ADHD
ADHD in school-age children and young people is very closely associated with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, an dysgraphia, as well as language and communication difficulties and sensory problems.
For this reason, allied health professionals such as speech & language therapists and occupational therapists can often provide valuable input to any support plans that are being considered at home and at school.
Psychiatric comorbidity in young people
ADHD in young people is also linked to other developmental disorders such as autism, dyspraxia and Tourette syndrome, medical problems like tic disorders and epilepsy, and emotional difficulties such as eating disorders, anxiety, and depression.
Adult comorbidities and ‘diagnostic overshadowing’
As young people enter adulthood, their difficulties may change with physical hyperactivity diminishing and a greater range of emotional difficulties becoming more apparent. In those who do not have the ADHD diagnosis, it is these that may be treated first and the underlying ADHD that is ‘missed’ in primary health care settings. This is known as ‘diagnostic over-shadowing’ and can mean that adult ADHD remains undetected for years.
This also applies to many who are diagnosed with autism (for which there is no recommended medical treatment) but who also have ADHD which may be contributing to their difficulties.
In working out what any young person (or adult) needs to help them to function better, it is important to develop a general profile of their difficulties so that a ‘multi-modal’ approach can be taken.
When the diagnosis is first given, or when ADHD is suspected, questions should also be asked about what else may be contributing to an individual’s functional impairment rathre than relying solely on the ADHD diagnosis and any treatment (e.g. medication) that may be offered to reduce those symptoms.
Common comorbidities
