Citation

Biederman J, Ball SW, Monuteaux MC, Mick E, Spencer TJ, McCreary M, Côté M, Faraone SV. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 2008; 47(4): 426-434.

Affiliation

Clinical and Research Program in Pediatric Psychopharmacology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA. jbiederman@partners.org

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, Publisher Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/CHI.0b013e31816429d3

PMID

18388760

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The main aim of this study was to evaluate the association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and major depression (MD) in adolescent and young adult females. METHOD: Subjects were females with (n = 140) and without (n = 122) ADHD ascertained from pediatric and psychiatric settings. Subjects were followed prospectively for 5 years into adolescence and young adulthood and reassessed in multiple nonoverlapping domains including psychiatric, cognitive, interpersonal, family, and educational functioning. RESULTS: Females with ADHD had a 2.5 times higher risk for MD at adolescent follow-up compared with control females, adjusting for psychiatric comorbidity. MD in females with ADHD was associated with an earlier age at onset, greater than twice the duration, more severe depression-associated impairment, a higher rate of suicidality, and a greater likelihood of requiring psychiatric hospitalization than MD in control girls. Parental MD and proband mania were significant predictors of MD among females with ADHD, independently of other predictors. CONCLUSIONS: MD emerging in the context of ADHD in females is an impairing and severe comorbidity worthy of further clinical and scientific considerations.

Language: en