Anxiety in Children with ADHD

Up to half of children with ADHD also have anxiety, but the effect anxiety has on the functioning abilities of children with ADHD has received little attention. There is some evidence that children with both ADHD and anxiety are less impulsive, and other evidence that these children have more attentional difficulties than those with ADHD alone. Some studies have shown that anxiety may exacerbate social problems for children with ADHD, but this notion has been challenged by other researchers.

A recent Australian study examined the association between anxiety and the functioning in 561 children with ADHD. Sixty-five percent of these children had anxiety with their ADHD, with social phobia being the most common, followed by generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, obsessive compulsive, post-traumatic stress, and panic disorders. Eighty-five percent of these children were taking medication for their ADHD.

An interesting finding was that those children with ADHD and an anxiety disorder were more likely to have moderate or severe sleep problems, had more severe symptoms of ADHD, and were more likely to have parents with elevated mental health symptoms.

Because anxiety is common in children with ADHD, and since anxiety has a tendency to lead to worse ADHD symptoms, it is very important to screen all ADHD patients for anxiety. My practice at Northwest Pediatrics in Dublin, OH includes screening for anxiety in each of our ADHD initial conferences and during each successive follow-up visit. Systematically assessing and treating anxiety in children with ADHD has the potential to improve functioning in children with ADHD.

The details in this Australian study were published in Pediatrics April 2014 edition.