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Adults with ADHD might die up to 11 years earlier than those without the disorder, a first-of-its-kind study has found, as experts call for more investment into treatments.
Chief executive of ADHD UK Henry Shelford, who was diagnosed with ADHD [attention deficit hyperactivity disorder] as an adult, said the report should be seen as an urgent call to action from the NHS and government.
“Change is needed and without it lives are being devastated,” he said.
The new research found that those with ADHD could die between 4.5 and 9 years earlier for men, and between 6.5 and 11 years earlier for women, and noted there was “a dearth of specialist services to support adults with ADHD in the UK”.
Josh Scott, professor of psychology and language sciences at UCL and senior author said people with ADHD could thrive with the right support and treatment, but that was often lacking.
“It is deeply concerning that some adults with diagnosed ADHD are living shorter lives than they should,” he said.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence estimates 3-4 per cent of adults in the UK Have ADHD, or about 2.6 million people.
People with the disorder can often focus intensely on things they are interested in but may struggle to focus on mundane tasks. The condition can lead to more impulsiveness, restlessness, and differences in time management which can make work and school a struggle.
The research, published in The British Journal of Psychiatry, examined the anonymised primary care data of 30,029 adults across the UK with diagnosed ADHD, and compared them to 300,390 adults without ADHD.
Experts said ADHD is under-treated in adults in the UK compared to other high-income countries, and the report found fewer than one in nine adults with ADHD had been diagnosed.
Mr Shelford said he had to wait for three years to be seen on the NHS, but wait times around the country were terrible – last year some patients were told there was a wait of up to 10-years for diagnosis.
“My experience with ADHD has been very tough,” he said. “This research shows how directly we are truly the ones bearing the cost of that carelessness.”
The report’s lead author Dr Liz O’Nions from UCL Psychology & Language Sciences and Bradford Institute for Health Research pointed out only a small percentage of adults with the condition have been diagnosed, which meant the research may overestimate the life expectancy gap for people with ADHD.
“Although many people with ADHD live long and healthy lives, our finding that on average they are living shorter lives than they should indicates unmet support needs,” Dr O’Nions said.
“It is crucial that we find out the reasons behind premature deaths so we can develop strategies to prevent these in future.”
Oliver Howes, professor of molecular psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, said the study adds to plenty of other evidence that other people with mental illnesses die sooner than people without mental illness.
“These findings highlight the need for much more investment in mental health services so people can get the help they need,” he said.
Philip Asherson, professor of molecular psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London said while the early causes of death weren’t confirmed in the study, ADHD was associated with higher rates of smoking, obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer among other health problems.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Lord Darzi’s report laid out how severe the delays have become in our broken NHS for people waiting for an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis. Through the Plan for Change, this government will get the NHS back on its feet and bring waiting lists under control.
“NHS England’s ADHD taskforce is also bringing together expertise from the NHS, the education sector and justice system, to better understand the challenges affecting those with ADHD including timely access to services and support.”
