Maternal Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Perinatal Depression: A Systematic Review

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is well-established as a disorder that persists into adulthood and is commonly comorbid with other mental health conditions. Despite increasing numbers of women entering reproductive years with this diagnosis, there is limited research on it in the perinatal period.

To critically appraise the available literature and examine the association between maternal ADHD and depression in the perinatal period.

A systematic review was conducted by searching EMBASE, PsycINFO, MEDLINE and Google Scholar up to August 2024. The available literature was evaluated in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA). The quality assessment was performed using the Joanna Briggs Institute framework, and a narrative synthesis was completed.

Ten studies were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria. The majority were of medium quality, with issues identified in sample size, study design and validity of the self-report scale used. Our review found a prevalence of 16.76% to 57.6% of perinatal depression in women with ADHD. An increased risk of developing perinatal depression was also identified in women with ADHD (OR 1.8-2.63) compared to those without the disorder. Finally, our review also found a positive association between ADHD symptoms and depressive symptoms in perinatal women.

Our findings suggest a much greater vulnerability to perinatal depression among women with ADHD, and an association between ADHD symptoms and depressive symptoms in the perinatal period. There is, however, a clear need for more high-quality studies to replicate and further explore these findings.