Why are children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder more likely to experience despair and anxiety?

According to a study released on Wednesday, approximately one in two children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are likely to experience anxiety, depression, and explosive outbursts. This could be explained by a smaller brain region that is responsible for behavior control, emotion processing, and communication.

Approximately 1 in 14 youth under the age of 18 suffer from ADHD, and half of these individuals continue to struggle with the disorder into adulthood.

Prior to recently, it was believed that issues with motivation and cognition were the cause of mood disorders in children with ADHD, such as sadness, anxiety disorders, and verbal or physical outbursts brought on by an inability to control their emotions.

However, in the study, researchers from the University of Cambridge and Fudan University in Shanghai, China, demonstrated that emotional dysregulation is caused by the pars orbitalis, a part of the brain that functions independently of these.

According to Barbara Sahakian of the University of Cambridge Department of Psychiatry, “the pars orbitalis is a well-connected part of the brain, and if it hasn’t developed properly, it might make it difficult for individuals to control their emotions and communicate with others appropriately, especially in social situations.”

In the study, which was published in the journal Nature Mental Health, the researchers discovered that, in addition to cognitive and motivational issues, over half (51.4%) of the 350 participants with severe symptoms of ADHD also had indications of emotion dysregulation.

Youngsters who scored highly on emotion dysregulation at age 13 but only had modest symptoms of ADHD were 2.85 times more likely to have severe symptoms of ADHD by the time they became 14 years old.

By using brain imaging data, scientists discovered that children with high scores for emotional issues and ADHD had smaller pars orbitalis.

Additionally, the study found that Ritalin, a medication that is often used to treat the condition, doesn’t seem to be as successful in treating this symptom.

According to Sahakian, including emotional dysregulation as a crucial component of ADHD would assist in understanding the issues the youngster is facing.

According to him, this might lead to the development of more potent emotional management therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy.