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The connection between trauma and ADHD is fascinating, if not fully understood. As research continues to fill in the blanks, Nicole Brown, M.D., MPH, MHS, recently answered questions from ADDitude readers about whether trauma begets attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD), what treatment options help children with ADHD who have experienced trauma, and what constitutes “trauma” in a diagnostic sense.
Q: Can trauma cause ADHD?
Research doesn’t support the idea that trauma causes ADHD. Research does tell us that ADHD is a condition that’s largely genetic and inherited, and that it causes specific areas of the brain to be underdeveloped or otherwise impacted. Because trauma affects those same areas of the brain, it exacerbates ADHD symptoms. The science, however, is still out on what actually causes ADHD.