Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and comorbidity

Studies of children with ADHD consistently document high rates of comorbid psychiatric conditions, including conduct disorders, depression and other mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and tic disorders. In diagnosing children with ADHD, one must be careful not to dismiss other symptomatology as secondary. Poor social skills, problems with parents, low academic functioning, and other correlates of ADHD can be construed as causal factors. Although these should not be ignored, neither should the possibility that a child suffers from another psychiatric disorder that might respond to appropriate pharmacotherapy. A variety of behavior rating scales are available to the practitioner as the first steps in this process.