Three Distinct ADHD-Depression Profiles Identified in Study

October 27, 2025Children with ADHD and behavioral disorders face an elevated risk for major depressive disorder (MDD) and depressive symptoms like high suicidality, whereas those with ADHD and autistic traits experience more irritability and poor sleep, according to recent research findings published in the Journal of Attention Disorders.1The study identified three distinct clusters of depressive symptoms in children with ADHD: ‘low symptoms,’ ‘irritable/poor sleep,’ and ‘high symptoms.’ Data from 696 children, aged 6 to 18, from the Study of ADHD Genes and Environment (SAGE) and latent profile analysis of 34 depression symptoms rated by caregivers in follow-up questionnaires formed the basis of the profiles.Nearly half (48.5%) of the children in the study were placed into the ‘low symptoms’ profile, meaning they presented relatively minor depressive symptoms in 26 of the 34 parent-rated questions.

Members of this profile exhibited slightly elevated levels of restlessness, indecisiveness, unhappiness, poor sleep, and tiredness.

They also showed the highest mean scores for irritability and difficulty concentrating, which was not surprising since those are also common signs of ADHD.In contrast, the ‘high symptoms’ profile, representing 15.5% of the sample, presented very high mean scores of depression symptoms across all categories.

Notably, these children were more likely to report loss of hope for the future, feeling that life is not worth living, thoughts of death and dying, and that their family would be better off without them.