Childhood trauma in adults with ADHD is associated with comorbid anxiety disorders and functional impairment

Child and adolescent psychological trauma exposure is associated with psychopathology in the adult population in general, but literature on childhood trauma (CT) in adults with ADHD is scarce.

To determine the prevalence of CT among adult patients with ADHD, and whether a history of CT implies different adult outcomes of psychiatric comorbidities, and functional impairment than without.

Previously unmedicated adult outpatients with ADHD (n = 250, median age 32 years) entered the study. Participants were diagnosed with ADHD using the Diagnostic Interview for ADHD in Adults, second edition (DIVA 2.0), and were assessed by historical data, validated questionnaires, and structured clinical interviews for CT and mental disorders including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and functional impairment. Analyses compared ADHD patients with and without CT.

Prevalence of CT was 44%. Of those with PTSD (n = 21), many had CT (85%, p < 0.001). In binary logistic regression analyses, CT was linked to an increased likelihood of concomitant panic disorder (unadjusted odds ratio, OR = 3.0, p < 0.001, and adjusted OR = 2.7, p < 0.01) and any anxiety disorders and two or more comorbid psychiatric disorders (adjusted OR = 1.9, p < 0.05 and OR = 1.7, p < 0.05, respectively), and was associated with significant functional impairment.

These findings suggest that awareness of child and adolescent trauma is clinically relevant among young to middle-aged adult ADHD patients, and implications for earlier detection of CT and treatment warrant further studies.