ADHD and Mental Health: Understanding Co-Occurring Conditions and Treatment Options

If you’ve been receiving treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but still notice ongoing challenges with attention, mood, or daily functioning, you may have a co-occurring condition. Many people with ADHD can experience another condition that may not be addressed by ADHD treatment alone. In this post, we’ll walk through how to recognize signs of a co-occurring mental health condition and how to decide what steps to take next.

How ADHD and Anxiety Overlap

Anxiety is one of the most common conditions to occur alongside ADHD, in both teens and adults. A constant effort to manage attention or focus can produce chronic worry or restlessness, and the two conditions can share similar signs. ADHD and anxiety in adults may feel like a consistent sense of worry or difficulty relaxing, while teens may look more like irritability or shutting down.

ADHD and Depression: When Focus Problems Mask a Mood Disorder

When it comes to ADHD and depression, it can be challenging to know if persistent low mood is caused by frustration with ADHD symptoms or a separate mood disorder needing its own attention. Depression can develop from the ongoing toll of untreated or undertreated ADHD symptoms, such as falling behind in school or feeling “less than” others. However, depression is also a distinct condition that requires its own treatment plan.

Academic Struggles Can Signal More Than ADHD Alone

If grades, motivation, or school engagement are still a struggle despite ADHD treatment, that can be useful information. ADHD and academic performance challenges can be a sign to look more closely at whether an undiagnosed co-occurring condition is also contributing.

Why ADHD Medication Management Can Be More Complex With Co-Occurring Conditions

While ADHD medications can help with ADHD symptoms, they are not designed to treat anxiety or depression directly. Current clinical guidance generally prioritizes treating whichever condition — ADHD or the co-occurring mood disorder — is the most severe or functionally impairing first, then addresses the remaining condition once the first has stabilized.

When ADHD symptoms like restlessness, impulsivity, or difficulty regulating emotion go unaddressed, some people turn to alcohol or other substances as an unintentional way to self-soothe or quiet the mental noise. This is why treating ADHD or substance use in isolation, without looking at the fuller picture, often falls short. 

When a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) Assessment Makes Sense

If you or someone you know may be experiencing ADHD and another mental health condition, a prescriber conversation is often the next step. A PHP assessment may be appropriate when symptoms significantly disrupt daily functioning across multiple areas, such as school or relationships. 

For immediate safety concerns, an emergency or crisis evaluation may be necessary. A PHP-level assessment involves a thorough evaluation, a team-based look at how ADHD and other conditions interact, and a coordinated plan rather than a single medication adjustment.

Why Trust Bournewood Health Systems for Co-Occurring Care?

At Bournewood, we’ve spent over 140 years helping people untangle co-occurring conditions through evidence-based, person-centered mental health and substance use treatment. Whatever the full picture looks like, we work alongside you and your family to make sense of it together.

Here’s how Bournewood supports co-occurring care:

• We are accredited: We’re accredited by The Joint Commission and licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health and the Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services.
• We offer 24/7 psychiatric coverage: A psychiatric physician or nurse practitioner is on campus 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, available for around-the-clock triage, assessment, and admissions.
• We have an experienced team: Our multidisciplinary team, including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and nurse practitioners, has experience supporting people with ADHD, anxiety, and some substance use conditions through DBT Informed care, as well as people with co-occurring mental health and substance use conditions through our co-occurring PHP.

Talk to Someone Who Understands Co-Occurring Conditions

If you’re ready to take the next step and talk through what you’re experiencing, Bournewood can help. Connect with us online or call 800-468-4358 to get started today.