First the bad news: Depression is estimated to be 2.7 times more prevalent among adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder than among the general adult population.
Now the good news: Effective remedies for depression are readily available, and they work just as well for adults with ADHD as they do for others. If you think you have the condition, there is no need to suffer.
Primary vs. Secondary Depression
Some adults with ADHD become depressed for no obvious reason—the condition strikes even in the absence of unpleasant life circumstances or events (difficulties at work or in school, job loss, relationship problems, chronic illness, and so on). Risk for this form of depression, known as primary depression, seems to be largely inherited.
Next: When It’s Not Inherited
A version of this article appears in the Summer 2009 issue of ADDitude.
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