October 23, 2025Almost all (94.4%) hypermobile Ehler-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) patients were incorrectly diagnosed with a mental illness by a non-psychiatrist prior to receiving their hEDS diagnosis, and 88% reported being told by providers that they were “making up” their symptoms, according to new research.1 Findings from another, related study published this month revealed that patients with mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) are at higher risk for 18 neuropsychiatric disorders including ADHD; female MCAS patients are three times more likely to have ADHD than are controls.
Rates of OCD, bipolar disorder, suicidality, and anxiety were also significantly higher in patients with MCAS, who reported improvement of symptoms after MCAS treatment, including with antihistamines.
2Together, these new studies help elucidate the interplay between neuropsychiatric (and pseudo-neuropsychiatric) symptoms and the multi-system disorders hEDS and MCAS, which are highly prevalent among people with ADHD.
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