Characteristics of Children With ADHD and Comorbid Anxiety

Matthew A. Jarrett, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA majarrett@ua.edu.
Jennifer C. Wolff, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Thompson E. Davis, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Maria J. Cowart, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
Thomas H. Ollendick, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The following comorbid subgroups of ADHD have been proposed: ADHD Only, ADHD + anxiety disorders (ANX), ADHD + oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder (ODD/CD), and ADHD + ODD/CD + ANX. The current study examined a subset of these groups. METHOD: A total of 134 children and adolescents (M age = 9.92; range = 6-17) from a clinic-referred sample (n = 407) were grouped based on a semistructured diagnostic interview: ADHD only (n = 41), ADHD + ANX (n = 31), and ANX Only (n = 62). RESULTS: Findings supported greater parent-reported anxiety symptoms in anxiety groups, and greater parent- and teacher-reported attention problems in ADHD groups. ADHD groups performed worse on a continuous performance test, whereas ADHD + ANX performed worse on working memory than ADHD Only. ADHD + ANX reported more physical anxiety symptoms than ADHD Only. CONCLUSION: Comorbid anxiety should be considered in ADHD assessment and treatment.