A new review published in JAMA Network Open finds that people diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder face a roughly 71% higher overall risk of early death than people without the condition. The same analysis found that prescription ADHD medication was associated with a lower overall risk of death among those diagnosed.
The review pulled together data from 19 observational studies covering nearly 16 million people across three continents, examining both unnatural causes of death, such as injuries and suicide, and natural causes, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. People with ADHD showed elevated mortality across every category studied.
Suicide risk was nearly double that of people without ADHD, up 89%, while death from intentional or unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle accidents, was 55% higher. Death from natural causes was 27% more likely among those with ADHD, a pattern researchers linked to higher rates of smoking and substance use, along with executive-function struggles that can make it harder to manage chronic illness, keep medical appointments and stick to treatment plans.
Joshua Stott, professor of aging and clinical psychology at University College London and the study’s senior author, said the findings point to broad health disparities.
“We found that people with ADHD face an increased risk not only of death by suicide and injury, but also of deaths by natural causes, adding to evidence that health inequalities faced by people with ADHD are broad and wide-ranging.”
One part of the analysis looked specifically at treatment. Among people with ADHD, those taking prescribed ADHD medication had a 25% lower risk of death from any cause than those who were not medicated, suggesting treatment may blunt some of the behavioral and health risks tied to the disorder.
“ADHD is not by definition a life-limiting condition, as the right support and treatment can help people live long and healthy lives,” Stott said. “Our findings underscore the importance of ensuring that everyone who may have ADHD has access to accurate diagnosis and treatment.”
Caveats researchers want readers to keep in mind
The authors were careful to flag the limits of the data. All 19 studies were observational, meaning they can show associations but not prove cause and effect. The medication findings came from just three of those studies, a much smaller sample, making that conclusion preliminary. Results also varied widely across studies because of differences in diagnostic criteria, access to health care and how patients were tracked over time, and the data did not control for factors like socioeconomic status or co-occurring mental health conditions.
Lucy Corrigan, a research assistant in the University of Liverpool’s Department of Psychology and the study’s first author, said the medication finding is a starting point rather than a final answer.
“Our findings provide early evidence to suggest that medication may play an important role in supporting the health of people with ADHD, but this is based on a small number of studies and further research is needed to clarify this link. Medication is just part of the story; many people with ADHD benefit from comprehensive, long-term treatment and support.”
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