Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
203,234 studies31 sourcesUpdated 41 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Molecular Psychiatry

Association between parental ADHD and adverse offspring outcomes: Evidence from a nationwide Swedish register-based study

  • Honghui Yao1,2
  • Mengping Zhou2,3,4
  • Isabell Brikell2,5
  • Brian M. D’Onofrio2,6
  • Ralf Kuja-Halkola2
  • Lin Li2
  • Paul Lichtenstein2
  • Henrik Larsson2,5
  • Erik Pettersson2
  • Zheng Chang2
6 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410011 Hunan China
  2. 2Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
  3. 3Beijing International Center for Mathematical Research, Peking university, Beijing, China
  4. 4Chongqing Taiji Industry (Group) Co. Ltd, Sinopharm, Chongqin, China
  5. 5School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
  6. 6Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN USA
Read full textPDFDOICite

Abstract

The potential associations between parental ADHD and a broad spectrum of offspring health outcomes remain uncertain. We explored associations between parental ADHD and multiple adverse outcomes in offspring. We used linked Swedish national registers to identify all individuals born in Sweden between 2000 and 2014 (N = 1,164,580) and followed them from birth until emigration, death, or December 31, 2020. After matching, 56,853 individuals with parental ADHD and 544,716 individuals without parental ADHD were included in the analysis. Parental ADHD was identified through ADHD diagnoses or ADHD medication prescriptions. Offspring of parents with ADHD were matched to ten individuals whose parents had no ADHD diagnosis. Stratified Cox regression models with robust standard errors were used to estimate associations between parental ADHD and 24 offspring outcomes. Offspring of parents with ADHD had higher rates of most adverse outcomes, compared with those without parental ADHD. Parental ADHD was associated with an increased rate of offspring psychiatric disorders (range of hazard ratios [HRs]: 1.49 for intellectual disability – 4.47 for ADHD), behavioral outcomes (range of HRs: 1.08 for falls – 1.82 for assault/victimization), and somatic disorders (range of HRs: 1.04 for type 1 diabetes–2.47 for sleep disorder). After adjusting for offspring lifetime ADHD, associations weakened but remained significant, except for intellectual disability and epilepsy. Rates were elevated for both maternal and paternal ADHD and highest when both parents with ADHD. Parental ADHD was associated with elevated risks of a broad range of adverse outcomes in offspring, encompassing psychiatric, behavioral, and somatic conditions. These findings highlight the broad intergenerational impact of ADHD and the need for early identification and family-focused preventive strategies.

Related

  1. Parental obesity and offspring cardiometabolic trajectories from childhood to adulthood
    Yi Qian, Chao-Nan Gao, Nai-Jun Wan +1
    Frontiers in public healthPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textEpidemiology & public healthEurope PMC
  2. PARENTAL EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL MICROPOLLUTANTS AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL FEATURES AND EARLY TREATMENT OUTCOMES IN ACUTE LEUKEMIA
    Micael DANGUI MENEZES, Kennia SILVA, Ana Luiza GOULART STARCK +6
    Hematology, Transfusion and Cell TherapyPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textEpidemiology & public healthDOAJ
  3. Association Between Preoperative Steroid Use and Short-Term Outcomes Following Pancreaticoduodenectomy: A Nationwide Analysis Using the National Clinical Database.
    Yoshito Tomimaru, Hideki Endo, Hiroyuki Yamamoto +4
    Annals of gastroenterological surgeryPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textOncologyEurope PMC
  4. Socioeconomic deprivation does not affect survival outcomes in patients with mantle cell lymphoma: evidence from a German nationwide study.
    Susanne von Kroge, Sabrina Klotz, Hanna Walk +5
    Blood cancer journalPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMCPMC
  5. Association of Prophylactic Abdominal Drain Placement With Short-Term Postoperative Outcomes After Hepatectomy: A Nationwide Inpatient Database Study in Japan.
    Keita Kouzu, Shotaro Aso, Yuki Hirano +15
    Annals of gastroenterological surgeryPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMC

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{yao2026association,
  title = {{Association between parental ADHD and adverse offspring outcomes: Evidence from a nationwide Swedish register-based study}},
  author = {Honghui Yao and Mengping Zhou and Isabell Brikell and Brian M. D’Onofrio and Ralf Kuja-Halkola and Lin Li and Paul Lichtenstein and Henrik Larsson and Erik Pettersson and Zheng Chang},
  journal = {Molecular Psychiatry},
  year = {2026},
  month = jul,
  doi = {10.1038/s41380-026-03770-6},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-026-03770-6},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Association between parental ADHD and adverse offspring outcomes: Evidence from a nationwide Swedish register-based study
AU  - Honghui Yao
AU  - Mengping Zhou
AU  - Isabell Brikell
AU  - Brian M. D’Onofrio
AU  - Ralf Kuja-Halkola
AU  - Lin Li
AU  - Paul Lichtenstein
AU  - Henrik Larsson
AU  - Erik Pettersson
AU  - Zheng Chang
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/27
JO  - Molecular Psychiatry
DO  - 10.1038/s41380-026-03770-6
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-026-03770-6
AB  - The potential associations between parental ADHD and a broad spectrum of offspring health outcomes remain uncertain. We explored associations between parental ADHD and multiple adverse outcomes in offspring. We used linked Swedish national registers to identify all individuals born in Sweden between 2000 and 2014 (N = 1,164,580) and followed them from birth until emigration, death, or December 31, 2020. After matching, 56,853 individuals with parental ADHD and 544,716 individuals without parental ADHD were included in the analysis. Parental ADHD was identified through ADHD diagnoses or ADHD medication prescriptions. Offspring of parents with ADHD were matched to ten individuals whose parents had no ADHD diagnosis. Stratified Cox regression models with robust standard errors were used to estimate associations between parental ADHD and 24 offspring outcomes. Offspring of parents with ADHD had higher rates of most adverse outcomes, compared with those without parental ADHD. Parental ADHD was associated with an increased rate of offspring psychiatric disorders (range of hazard ratios [HRs]: 1.49 for intellectual disability – 4.47 for ADHD), behavioral outcomes (range of HRs: 1.08 for falls – 1.82 for assault/victimization), and somatic disorders (range of HRs: 1.04 for type 1 diabetes–2.47 for sleep disorder). After adjusting for offspring lifetime ADHD, associations weakened but remained significant, except for intellectual disability and epilepsy. Rates were elevated for both maternal and paternal ADHD and highest when both parents with ADHD. Parental ADHD was associated with elevated risks of a broad range of adverse outcomes in offspring, encompassing psychiatric, behavioral, and somatic conditions. These findings highlight the broad intergenerational impact of ADHD and the need for early identification and family-focused preventive strategies.
SN  - 1359-4184
SN  - 1476-5578
ER  -