Suicide and ADHD

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The tragedy of suicide continues to grow. This week the CDC announced that in 2022 more Americans killed themselves than in any previous year. Much of the media attention, as well as the mental health research, focuses on despair and depression. But we’ve known for decades that other conditions, including ADHD, are linked to suicide. Having ADHD makes it somewhere between two to six times more likely that the individual will die from suicide.

While some of these deaths include people who had both depression and ADHD, increasing evidence implicates ADHD itself in contributing to suicide. I think that we continue to underestimate the importance of impulsivity as a risk factor for suicide, particularly in those with ADHD, but perhaps in the larger community as well. Measures to reduce deaths from suicide will need to incorporate ways to address this impulsivity component.

If you are feeling suicidal, in the US, call 988. You do not need to wait until an overwhelming crisis to call this number. Calls are anonymous, and do NOT automatically trigger a visit from police or medical professionals.

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Free link to my Medium Article on Suicide and ADHD:

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References:

Impulsivity traits and suicide related outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis using the UPPS model

Effect of Internet-Delivered Emotion Regulation Individual Therapy for Adolescents With Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Disorder

CDC Suicide Data and Statistics

Neurological and psychiatric adverse effects of long-term methylphenidate treatment in ADHD: A map of the current evidence

Suicide Risk in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

ADHD, financial distress, and suicide in adulthood: A population study (Sweden)

ADHD and Exposure to Maltreatment in Children and Youth: a Systematic Review of the Past

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Streamed live August 16, 2023

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Psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and author John Kruse, MD, PhD presents practical, actionable, well-researched information about treatment options that scientists and clinicians recommend for adult ADHD and other mental health conditions.

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