Analysis of the Relationship of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Clarifies Relationship Directionality

Abstract

In the current issue of Biological Psychiatry, Wendt et al. (1) describe several robust analyses that collectively fill in important knowledge gaps toward understanding the association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). That association is well documented, with a prior meta-analysis of 22 studies reporting increased rates of PTSD in subjects with ADHD and vice versa (2). Studies using control subjects who had experienced trauma found an increased risk of PTSD in individuals with ADHD, suggesting that the association is not entirely due to increased trauma rates in individuals with ADHD (2).