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Ask An Expert: ADD and Depression
Question:
Are children with ADD more likely to be depressed?
Answer:
Depression is common in children with ADHD. Exact numbers are hard to come by, given that both ADHD and depression both often go undiagnosed, but it's estimated that between 10 and 30 percent of children with ADHD also have depression.
It's easy to understand why, if you think about it. Children with ADHD often have difficulty with school, leading to poor self-esteem. And because children with ADHD are often very active and have trouble controlling their impulses, they can have problems with social relationships. They are the children that don't get invited to the birthday parties, don't get invited back for play dates, and get ostracized by their peers on the playground.
Sometimes people with depression are mistakenly diagnosed with ADHD, as depression can cause people to be agitated and have difficulty concentrating.
Symptoms of depression in a child include:
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Depressed mood or sadness
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More irritability than usual
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Less interest in the things he or she used to enjoy
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Less energy
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New or increased problems with sleeping
Contact your child's doctor if you have any concern. Call your doctor immediately if your child ever says anything about wanting to die.
Therapy and medication can be very effective for depression and ADHD; and the sooner your child gets help, the better.
Claire McCarthy, M.D., is a senior medical editor for Harvard Health Publications. She is an instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, an attending physician at Children's Hospital of Boston, and co-director of the pediatrics department at Martha Eliot Health Center, a neighborhood health service of Children's Hospital. The author of two books, "Learning How the Heart Beats" and "Everyone's Children", Dr. McCarthy was a regular columnist for "Sesame Street Parents Magazine" from 1995 to 1998 and is currently a contributing editor for "Parenting Magazine".
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| Last updated: | January 24, 2007 |
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Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.
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