Abstract
BackgroundPharmacotherapy is effective in reducing the core symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We aimed to investigate the concurrent association between pharmacotherapy for ADHD in offspring and depression-related specialty care visits by the parents with a history of depression.MethodsUsing data from a variety of Swedish national registers, we conducted a cohort study with 8-year follow-up of 5605 parents (3872 mothers and 1733 fathers) who had a history of depression and an offspring diagnosed with ADHD. The hazard rate for parental depression-related specialty care visits during exposed periods when the offspring was on medication for treatment of ADHD was compared with the hazard rate during unexposed periods when the offspring was off medication. Within-individual comparisons were employed to control for time-constant confounding factors.ResultsAmong mothers, the crude rates of depression-related specialty care visits during exposed and unexposed periods were 61.33 and 63.95 per 100 person-years, respectively. The corresponding rates among fathers were 49.23 and 54.65 per 100 person-years. When the same parent was compared with him or herself, fathers showed a decreased hazard rate for depression-related visits during exposed periods when the offspring was on medication for treatment of ADHD as compared to unexposed periods (hazard ratio, 0.79 [95% confidence interval, 0.70 to 0.90]). No statistically significant associations were observed in mothers.ConclusionsAmong parents with a history of depression, pharmacotherapy for ADHD in offspring is concurrently associated with a decreased rate of depression-related specialty care visits in fathers but not in mothers. Future research with refined measures of parental depression and other time-varying familial factors is needed to better understand the mechanisms underlying the association.
Highlights
Pharmacotherapy is effective in reducing the core symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
A multi-country online survey conducted among 2326 caregivers of children/adolescents with ADHD showed that the caregivers experienced considerable burden in terms of work, social activity, family life, and parental stress, despite pharmacotherapy received by all children/ adolescents during the previous 6 months [9]
We explore the association between pharmacotherapy for ADHD in offspring and the hazard rate for depression-related unplanned visits in depressed parents
Summary
Pharmacotherapy is effective in reducing the core symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting both children and adults [1,2,3]. Children and adolescents with ADHD are at increased risk of conduct disorder [5], learning disabilities [5], substance use disorder [6], criminality [7], and injuries [8], which might add to the overall burden on caregivers. A multi-country online survey conducted among 2326 caregivers of children/adolescents with ADHD showed that the caregivers experienced considerable burden in terms of work, social activity, family life, and parental stress, despite pharmacotherapy received by all children/ adolescents during the previous 6 months [9]. The survey found that ADHD medication adherence was associated with reduced caregiver burden related to work and social activity [9]. One limitation of the survey study was the lack of an optimal proxy for off-medication time
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