A new study shows that children with hyperactivity and / or autism are twice as likely to develop anxiety and / or mood disorders.
Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are twice as likely to develop anxiety and mood disorders. Here are the conclusions of a new American study published in the journal Pediatrics. Carried out in association with the Interactive Autism Network (IAN), this study was conducted to compare comorbidity (link between two diseases) in people with ASD and in those with ASD and ADHD.
Researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute examined data from a cross-sectional network survey of children aged 6 to 17 with ASD, all of whom were enrolled in the Interactive Autism Network between 2006 and 2013. The work of these researchers show that children with both autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are at increased risk of being diagnosed or treated for anxiety problems and / or mood disorders.
Twice the risk of developing mood disorders
Of the 3,319 children studied, 1,503 (45.3%) had ADHD. Survey data was analyzed for the diagnosis and / or treatment of ADHD, anxiety disorders and mood disorders reported by parents. Research has shown that children with ASD and ADHD are twice as likely to develop anxiety disorders and 2.7 times as likely to have mood disorders. Researchers also found that these psychiatric disorders were more common in older children.
“We know that anxiety and mood disorders are very common in people with ASD,” says Eliza Gordon-Lipkin, associate professor at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and lead author of the study. “This study goes even further, however, as it provides information on the differences between children with only ASD and those with both ASD and ADHD. What exactly happens in the brains of children with ASD and / or ADHD is not fully understood, but we hope this study prompts other researchers to work on it to find the answer to this question, “the researchers say.
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