Importantly, childhood abuse/neglect was not independently associated with later ADHD. Instead, childhood ADHD was associated with exposure to abuse/neglect later in life among children who also had co-occurring conduct disorder.
In addition, young adults who were exposed to severe abuse/neglect in adolescence had higher odds of 3.86 for ADHD.
Trauma and traumatic stress, according to a growing body of research, are closely associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD). Trauma and adversity can alter the brain's architecture, especially in children, which may partly explain their link to the development of ADHD.
Causes of ADHD
Recent studies link genetic factors with ADHD. In addition to genetics, scientists are studying other possible causes and risk factors including: Brain injury. Exposure to environmental risks (e.g., lead) during pregnancy or at a young age.
ADHD is a complex disorder caused by multiple factors, making it difficult to identify the exact causes. Genetic and environmental factors, and their interactions, are known to contribute to this disorder.
ADHD tends to run in families and, in most cases, it's thought the genes you inherit from your parents are a significant factor in developing the condition. Research shows that parents and siblings of someone with ADHD are more likely to have ADHD themselves.
High levels of parenting stress are associated with both an increased risk of parental psychopathology (Kazdin, 1995) and maladaptive parenting practices, both of which are known to influence the course of children's ADHD (Johnston & Mash, 2001; Modesto-Lowe et al., 2008).
Greatest heredity from mother
- 40 percent of these boys are themselves diagnosed with the condition, says Solberg. The greatest inheritance was from the mother to the children.
Simply put, people with ADHD have areas of the brain that function differently. The disorder begins in childhood, but somewhere between 30 to 70 percent of sons will also be fathers with ADHD. A number of published studies show a clear link to genetics, but it is not 100 percent conclusive.
ADHD, also called attention-deficit disorder, is a behavior disorder, usually first diagnosed in childhood, that is characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and, in some cases, hyperactivity.
Stressful life events, especially Childhood Trauma, predict ADHD symptoms. Childhood Trauma and negatively biased memory are risk factors for affective disorders. The association of life events and bias with ADHD symptoms may inform about the etiology of ADHD.
Bipolar disorder and ADHD. The most difficult differential diagnosis for doctors to make is between ADHD and bipolar disorder. These two conditions are often hard to distinguish because they share several symptoms, including: mood changes.
In response to trauma, a child's developing brain can become programmed to “look out” for behaviour, activities or events that they perceive as threatening. This “hyper-vigilance” can often mimic hyperactivity and distractibility associated with ADHD.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) specifies that ADHD symptoms must be (or have been) present before age 12 to meet the criteria for ADHD diagnosis. 1 Technically, this means attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is not diagnosed initially in adulthood.
Many people think that ADHD is a result of trauma, but is it true? The answer is yes, but more for some people than others. The truth is that 90% of the time ADHD is not caused by trauma, but if the trauma is extreme enough, it can cause severe ADHD-like symptoms.
However, the most common source of impairing late-onset ADHD symptoms in adolescence and young adulthood was substance use. Prior to diagnosing or treating ADHD in late-onset cases, clinicians should carefully assess and treat substance use and comorbid mental health disorders as a potential source of symptoms.
Available evidence suggests that ADHD is genetic—passed down from parent to child. ADHD seems to run in at least some families.
Children who act out at home and can come to school and behave correctly are displaying a behavioral problem from a lack of discipline, or attention, in the home. Children who suffer from ADD, or ADHD, cannot turn their symptoms off at will.
However, several biological and environmental factors have also been proposed as risk factors for ADHD, including food additives/diet, lead contamination, cigarette and alcohol exposure, maternal smoking during pregnancy, and low birth weight.
Parents with ADHD may have trouble managing their emotional reactions when their children misbehave. And it's sometimes harder for them to pay attention to their kids' positive behaviors, which should be acknowledged and praised. Treatment can help with these issues as well.
Most new parents suffer from symptoms that could fall under the general guidelines for a diagnosis of ADHD: lack of focus on directions, forgetfulness, disorganization, losing important items and a general sense of foggy thinking. Simply adding a fully dependent human being to your busy schedule can do some of that.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), one of the most prevalent childhood disorders today, is generally more likely to be diagnosed and treated in boys than in girls.
Besides DNA, other factors can influence who develops ADHD. These include the following: Environmental exposure, such as exposure to lead, may increase a child's risk for ADHD. A small number of children who suffer a traumatic brain injury may develop ADHD.
Research into stress and ADHD symptoms
Chronic stress makes symptoms worse, and even causes chemical and architectural changes to the brain, affecting its ability to function. In Nature Neuroscience, researchers note that stress affects the prefrontal cortex, the same location of the brain affected by ADHD.
Children with ADHD experience the same emotions as do other children, but their feelings are more frequent, intense, and longer-lasting. Because the underlying brain mechanisms that help manage emotions are affected by ADHD, emotional regulation development is delayed.