Ask the Experts

What Causes ADHD?

“I was just diagnosed with ADHD, and I’m interested in learning more about it. Is the disorder caused by a specific genetic mutation?”

Recent studies suggest that there is a familial/genetic pattern in about 50 percent of the people who have ADHD, although no one knows the precise cause of the disorder. If you’d like to read more about possible causes of ADHD, let me recommend Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, by Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D.