Practitioner Review: Attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder – the importance of depression
Anita Thapara b c d✉, Lucy A. Livingstone f g h, Olga Eyrea b c d, Lucy Riglina b c d
- aDivision of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics Cardiff University School of Medicine Cardiff UK
- bWolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health Cardiff University Cardiff UK
- cDivision of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
- dWolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- eInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King's College London London UK
- fNeuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute Cardiff University Cardiff UK
- gInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- hNeuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- ✉Corresponding author
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Abstract
Young people with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), show high rates of mental health problems, of which depression is one of the most common. Given that depression in ASD and ADHD is linked with a range of poor outcomes, knowledge of how clinicians should assess, identify and treat depression in the context of these neurodevelopmental disorders is much needed. Here, we give an overview of the latest research on depression in young people with ADHD and ASD, including possible mechanisms underlying the link between ADHD/ASD and depression, as well as the presentation, assessment and treatment of depression in these neurodevelopmental disorders. We discuss the implications for clinicians and make recommendations for critical future research in this area.