4 Lesser-Known Facts About the Link Between ADHD and PTSD

New research explores the bidirectional relationship between ADHD and PTSD

Reviewed by Davia Sills

Key points

• The relationship between PTSD and ADHD is described as being “bidirectional.”
• Exposure to childhood trauma can predict ADHD onset in children.
• Cognitive and emotional disruptions that occur in response to trauma can overlap with ADHD symptomatology.
• This comorbidity needs to be considered in any approach to both diagnosis and treatment.

An estimated 15.5 million adults in the United States—roughly 1 in 16—have been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by a clinically significant functional impairment due to symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity. Approximately one-third of adults with ADHD take stimulant medication, and a recent analysis suggests that 71.5 percent had difficulty filling their prescriptions because the medication was unavailable due to medication shortages.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) arises after someone is exposed to a traumatic event and experiences these symptoms in the aftermath: reexperiencing, hyperarousal, and avoiding stimuli associated with the trauma while exhibiting a numbed responsiveness.

Researchers and clinicians have known for some time that PTSD and ADHD are linked—i.e., if you have one, your chances are much higher for having the other one, too. The relationship between PTSD and ADHD has also been described as being “bidirectional,” meaning each one can impact the other.

Here are four lesser-known facts about the relationship between ADHD and PTSD.

1. The role of exposure to childhood trauma

It has been shown that exposure to childhood trauma can predict ADHD onset in children as well as the persistence of this disorder into adulthood. It’s important to note how a “vicious cycle” can arise with a child who has ADHD. Their hyperactivity or impulsivity can make them more prone to trauma exposure, e.g., violent accidents. They may also experience more stressful events, such as being given harsh treatment or punishment by caregivers and teachers. This, in turn, can register as further adversity and trauma, feeding into the cycle of trauma and ADHD and further exacerbating the overall symptoms.

2. An overlapping and exacerbation of symptoms

Cognitive and emotional disruptions that occur in response to trauma, such as difficulty concentrating, dysregulated affect, irritability, and hyperarousal, either overlap with ADHD symptomatology or exasperate it further.

3. Worse overall quality of life

People who have ADHD and PTSD have higher rates of other psychiatric comorbidity than those with ADHD only. This includes higher lifetime rates of major depressive disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, social phobia, agoraphobia, and generalized anxiety disorder. Collectively, these comorbidities contribute to an overall worse quality of life.

4. Genetic link?

A 2023 study employed a statistical method called Mendelian randomization to probe the relationship between ADHD and other mental health conditions. Mendelian randomization uses genetic variation to assess how significantly a given risk factor may influence a health outcome. The study results showed that having a genetic liability to ADHD was independently associated with the risk of developing PTSD. This emphasizes again the risk of these disorders being comorbid and the need to consider this in any approach to both diagnosis and treatment.