Adults with ADHD face significantly shorter life expectancy, study finds

Adults diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the United Kingdom live shorter lives on average than those without the condition, according to a large-scale study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry. Analyzing medical records from over 330,000 individuals, researchers found that men with ADHD lost between 4.5 and 9 years of life, while women lost between 6.5 and 11 years compared to matched individuals without the diagnosis.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that typically emerges in childhood and can persist into adulthood. It is marked by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, or impulsivity that disrupt daily functioning. Although it is often framed as a childhood disorder, studies indicate that symptoms continue into adulthood for up to 90% of those diagnosed as children. Adult ADHD remains underdiagnosed and undertreated, even though effective interventions are available.

People with ADHD are more likely to face a variety of life challenges, including academic struggles, unemployment, financial instability, and interactions with the criminal justice system. They also experience higher rates of mental and physical health problems, including anxiety, depression, substance use, and cardiovascular disease. Previous research has linked ADHD to an increased risk of premature death, but until now, no study had used life expectancy data to estimate how many years of life might be lost.

“We knew that people with ADHD seemed to experience increased mortality and experience lots of adverse environmental stressors as well as being more likely to have mental health problems and addictions. We suspected this might lead to a significantly reduce life expectancy,” said study author Joshua Stott, a professor of ageing and clinical psychology at University College London

The researchers analyzed data from the IQVIA Medical Research Data, a database of electronic health records from over 790 general practices across the UK. They identified 30,029 adults with a recorded ADHD diagnosis and matched them with 300,390 individuals without ADHD based on age, sex, and medical practice. The study observed mortality rates and estimated life expectancy using a statistical technique called the life table method, which models age-specific death rates.

The median age at which people with ADHD entered the study was around 19 for men and 22 for women, with most being young adults. Their diagnoses were typically recorded in the early 2000s. Participants were followed from the time of diagnosis (or a matched date for the comparison group) until death, deregistration from their medical practice, or the study’s end in 2019.

All participants were tracked for all-cause mortality, and the researchers also examined baseline health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, epilepsy, mental illness, and substance use. These co-occurring issues were significantly more common in the ADHD group than in those without the diagnosis.

During the observation period, people with ADHD had notably higher mortality rates. For men with ADHD, 0.83% died, compared to 0.52% in the control group. For women, the rate was 2.22% compared to 1.35%. Mortality rates increased with age, but remained higher in those with ADHD across all age groups.

Using this data, the researchers estimated life expectancy beginning at age 18. Men with ADHD were projected to live to 73.3 years, compared to 80 years in the control group. For women, the figures were 75.2 years versus 83.8 years. This translates to an average of nearly 7 years of life lost for men and nearly 9 years for women. These results were consistent even when the researchers adjusted for potential underreporting of deaths.

“There is an association between being diagnosed with ADHD and significantly lower life expectancy, perhaps particularly in women,” Stott told PsyPost. “We are unsure currently as to the reasons for this, but suspect that they are due to cumulative adverse experiences across the lifetime, mental health problems and addictions as well as systems (including health systems) not adapted to the need of people with ADHD.”

The study authors emphasized that these differences in life expectancy are unlikely to be caused by ADHD itself. Instead, they point to the broader social and medical challenges faced by people with ADHD—many of which are preventable or treatable. Smoking, poor access to healthcare, substance use, untreated mental illness, and lifestyle factors likely contribute to earlier mortality.

These findings echo similar patterns seen in other high-income countries. A meta-analysis from several nations had previously found that people with ADHD were more than twice as likely to die prematurely as those without the condition. Another long-term study from the United States estimated that childhood hyperactivity reduced life expectancy by about eight years, and by as much as thirteen years among those who continued to meet ADHD criteria in adulthood.

The researchers stress that the results should serve as a wake-up call for healthcare systems, especially in the UK. Despite increasing recognition of ADHD in adulthood, services for adult diagnosis and support remain limited. Many people with ADHD go without treatment, even after seeking help. Some general practitioners report feeling ill-equipped to manage the condition due to a lack of training or systemic support.

At the same time, people with ADHD are at greater risk for socioeconomic disadvantage, including poverty and homelessness. These factors not only limit access to healthcare but may also reinforce unhealthy coping mechanisms such as substance use, which are linked to higher rates of injury, chronic disease, and suicide.

The study has several strengths. It included a large, representative sample and compared people from the same healthcare practices, which reduces bias caused by regional differences. However, it also had some limitations. The researchers could not determine causes of death or fully control for factors like race and gender identity, which were not consistently recorded in the database. They also noted that diagnosed cases of ADHD likely represent only a subset of all individuals with the condition, possibly skewing the sample toward those with more severe or complex needs.

Nevertheless, the magnitude of life lost suggests that the findings reflect a widespread public health issue. The researchers argue for the urgent development of national strategies to address the health risks associated with adult ADHD. These might include better training for primary care providers, broader access to diagnosis and treatment, and targeted public health initiatives such as smoking cessation programs and mental health support tailored to individuals with ADHD.

Looking forward, Stott hopes to understand the causes and reasons behind the findings and develop strategies to ameliorate it.

The study, “Life expectancy and years of life lost for adults with diagnosed ADHD in the UK: matched cohort study,” was authored by Elizabeth O’Nions, Céline El Baou, Amber John, Dan Lewer, Will Mandy, Douglas G.J. McKechnie, Irene Petersen, and Josh Stott.