Abstract
Major and minor depressive disorders occur 5.5 times more often in people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than without it. Patients with depressive disorders and ADHD (Dep/ADHD) have significant long-term impairment and suicide risk. Dep/ADHD typically begins several years after the onset of the ADHD, offering the opportunity to prevent it in this predisposed group with ADHD. Impairment related to the ADHD and to other comorbid disorders, environmental adversities, and familial factors all may contribute to the increased risk of depressive disorders and suicide in patients with ADHD. Early identification could lead to earlier treatment, which could reduce the morbidity and mortality of Dep/ADHD, but is complicated by the overlap of depression symptoms with ADHD’s and other common comorbidities’ symptoms, and with the side effects of ADHD medications. Growing evidence suggests the benefit of treating Dep/ADHD with selective serotonergic reuptake inhibitor antidepressants, stimulants, and even atomoxetine or bupropion. Other evidence suggests the benefit of psychosocial treatments, alone or with pharmacotherapy, to target the depressive symptoms, psychosocial impairment, and contributing environmental factors. This chapter reviews the morbidity, etiological factors, and strategies for assessing and treating Dep/ADHD.
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Daviss, W.B. (2018). Depressive Disorders and ADHD. In: Daviss, W. (eds) Moodiness in ADHD. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64251-2_7
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