Having ADHD Linked to a Shorter Lifespan by Up to 11 Years: Study

Women with ADHD were found to have a greater reduction in lifespan than men.

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Adults diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may have a lifespan as much as a decade shorter than average, a new British study has found.

Researchers from University College London (UCL) analyzed data from more than 30,000 adults with diagnosed ADHD and more than 300,000 participants without it.

Men with ADHD had an average lifespan of about 73 years (compared with 80 years for non-ADHD peers). Women with ADHD had an average lifespan of 75 years (compared with almost 84 for the control group).

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This translates to a potential life expectancy reduction of about four to nine years for men and six to 11 years for women, according to the study published in The British Journal of Psychiatry on Jan. 23.

This is the first study to make this estimation in a UK population, “and it seems to be the first to do it anywhere, apart from one previous study that used US data and very different statistical methods,” Kevin McConway, professor emeritus of applied statistics at The Open University in England, who was not involved in the study, said in a statement.

Even allowing for some statistical uncertainty, “the estimated differences in life expectancy between people diagnosed and not diagnosed with ADHD are rather large,” he noted.

The team emphasized that their study couldn’t identify why people with ADHD did not live as long. Still, it’s crucial that “we find out the reasons behind premature deaths so we can develop strategies to prevent these in future [sic],” lead study author Liz O'Nions said in a statement.

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ADHD can cause difficulties with concentration and increased impulsiveness. Numbers vary, but estimates suggest that as many as 4 percent of people worldwide are living with ADHD.

Underlying Complexities

The study highlighted several critical nuances.

“We know from studies of traits in the community and from studies of childhood diagnosis that the rate of ADHD in our sample is just a fraction of what it should be,” senior study author UCL professor Josh Stott noted in one of the statements.

Fewer than one in nine adults with ADHD have been formally diagnosed.

The researchers also found a high prevalence of co-occurring health conditions, including mental health challenges (anxiety and depression) and chronic health issues (diabetes, heart disease, epilepsy, and respiratory problems).

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The findings showed that nearly 8 percent of people suspected of ADHD via screening reported that they had requested a particular mental health treatment in the past 12 months but had not received it.

“People with ADHD have many strengths and can thrive with the right support and treatment,” Stott stated. “However, they often lack support and are more likely to experience stressful life events and social exclusion, negatively impacting their health and self-esteem.”

“More of those who are diagnosed may have additional health problems compared to the average person with ADHD,” O'Nions said. “Therefore, our research may over-estimate the life expectancy gap for people with ADHD overall.”

Researchers caution against overgeneralizing the findings, noting potential limitations in geographical applicability (the findings might not generalize to other countries), variations across different time periods, and potential overestimation because of the diagnosed population’s health complexities.