ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to compare the depression and anxiety levels of children with ADHD with healthy controls. Method: 47 children and adolescents with ADHD and aged between 7-12 years were evaluated according to DSM-IV and 44 healthy children and adolescents who matched to patients in terms of age and education level were included in this study. Sociodemographic data form, parent-report of Children’s Depression Inventory (PR-CDI), child-report Children’s Depression Inventory (CR-CDI), Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) were applied to the participants.

It was revealed that depression and anxiety levels of children with ADHD were significantly higher than healthy controls. Depressive symptom levels were positively correlated with age and anxiety symptom levels. The panic/agoraphobia, separation anxiety, social phobia, generalized anxiety subscales’ scores of SCAS in ADHD were significantly higher than healthy controls. Conclusions: The comorbidity of depression and anxiety disorders is found to be frequent in ADHD samples.

Keywords: ADHD, depression, anxiety