Differentiating Between ADHD and Depression in Children

If your child notes symptoms that are common to both depression and ADHD, getting help to determine the diagnosis will be imperative. Clinicians that work with your child will focus on determining the root cause of your child’s distress. If your child notes that he or she has deep feelings of worthlessness, it is probable that your child may have depression. If, on the other hand, your child’s symptoms cannot be attributed to depression, he or she may have ADHD.

Clinical guidelines for the diagnosis of ADHD require that the symptoms of the disorder must not be better described by another mental disorder, such as depression. Following this recommendation, it may be possible to determine if your child has depression or ADHD.

Clearly, the overlap between symptoms of ADHD and depression can make it difficult to determine the right diagnosis. While determining the correct cause of the child’s distress is important, there are other issues to consider when it comes to the overlap between ADHD and depression. Specifically, research has demonstrated that the initial diagnosis of ADHD can, over time, lead to depression for the child.

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