In a study by Biederman, Ball, Monuteaux, et al. (2008), adolescent females with ADHD had a 2.5 higher risk for developing major depression compared to the non-ADHD control group. Females with ADHD had a longer duration of depression, the onset was at an earlier age, their depression caused more impairment, there was a higher rate of suicide, and females with ADHD and depression were more likely to need psychiatric hospitalization.
Parent histories of depression or mania were significant predictors of depression in ADHD adolescent females.
Biederman, J., Ball, S., Monuteaux, M., Mick, E., Spencer, T., McCreary, M., Cote, M., & Faraone, S. (2008) New Insights Into the Comorbidity Between ADHD and Major Depression in Adolescent and Young Adult Females. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 47(4):426-434.
