Adults with ADHD have a shorter life expectancy than those without, a new study has found.
The research, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, found men with ADHD lost an average of 6.78 years of life and women an average of 8.64 years, compared to people who did not have the disorder.
ADHD affects nearly 3% of adults, although most are undiagnosed, the report said. Data was collected from 792 GPs, covering 9.56m people. Researchers identified 30,039 adults diagnosed with ADHD (0.32% of the sample size), who were then matched against 300,390 individuals without the disorder.
It is the first study of its kind to look at life expectancy and ADHD within the UK population.
Researchers believe the difference in life expectancy is because people with ADHD don’t get enough treatment, both for the disorder itself and other health issues.
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However, the study did not account for all possible factors, like ethnicity or deprivation, which might also affect life expectancy. It lacked information on the cause of death and there was a potential for an overrepresentation of individuals with higher support needs.
Because ADHD often goes undiagnosed – especially in adults – the new research may overestimate the reduction in life expectancy experienced by people with ADHD.
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But senior author, Professor Josh Stott from UCL, said the findings were still “deeply concerning”.
“People with ADHD have many strengths and can thrive with the right support and treatment,” he said. “However, they often lack support and are more likely to experience stressful life events and social exclusion, negatively impacting their health and self-esteem.”
The study also raised concerns about the under-diagnosis of the disorder, noting that just 0.32% of adults in the study had been diagnosed with ADHD.
‘Limited access to a diagnosis’
Experts said “unhealthy habits” and “risk-taking behaviour” could be a partial cause.
“We know that ADHD is associated with higher rates of smoking, obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer among other health problems,” said Prof Philip Asherson from King’s College London.
“Adults with ADHD are more likely to engage in unhealthy habits such as binge eating or smoking, and risk-taking behaviour. There may also be biological links with autoimmune and other physical health disorders.
“ADHD is increasingly recognised as a serious condition in adults associated with poor health outcomes.”
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Services to support adults with ADHD, and to improve both physical and mental health outcomes, lag behind what is available for other common conditions, such as anxiety, depression, hypertension and obesity, he said.
“Of particular concern are limited access to diagnosis and treatment including psychosocial support,” said Prof Asherson.
“Until this is addressed the shorter life expectancy demonstrated in this study is likely to continue.”
