A study published in the open-access journal BMJ Mental Health, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), often known as hyperactivity disorder, is a distinct risk factor for a variety of frequent and important mental health problems. It is a neuro developmental disorder in kids and teens that, in up to two-thirds of instances, persists into adulthood. It is estimated to affect five per cent children and teens and 2.5 per cent adults worldwide.
ADHD has been linked to mood and anxiety disorders in observational studies. Researchers used the Mendelian randomisation to obtain genetic evidence to link it to seven common mental health issues. These included major clinical depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anorexia nervosa, and at least one suicide attempt. The approach was initially employed by the researchers to look for any connections between ADHD and the seven illnesses. They next utilised it to investigate the possibility that diseases connected to ADHD may be to blame for the impacts found in the initial analysis. To determine the direct and indirect impacts of ADHD, they combined the data from the two analyses. There was no evidence for a causal link between ADHD and bipolar disorder, anxiety, or schizophrenia, the results of the analysis showed.
