Join this ACAMH Expert Half-Day exploring the increasingly recognised link between ADHD and depression in children and young people. As demand on services grows and presentations become more complex, understanding how these conditions interact is becoming ever more important. This three-hour online session will bring together insights on co-occurrence, epidemiology, and treatment to support clearer assessment and more effective care. The programme offers a focused opportunity to engage with a highly relevant and evolving area of practice.
Register for the event & pricing
Sign up at this link or on the Book Now buttons, and complete the form that follows. You’ll then receive an email confirmation and a link to the webinar, plus we’ll send you a calendar reminder nearer the time.
Delegates will have exclusive access to recordings for 90 days after the event, together with slides. Plus you will get a personalised CPD/CME certificate via email. Recordings from the session will be available to delegates from 5 working days after the event.
- ACAMH Members MUST login to book onto the webinar in order to access this webinar and get a CPD/CME certificate.
- Non-members: this is a great time to join ACAMH, take a look at what we have to offer, and make the saving on these sessions.
| Ticket Type | Price |
|---|---|
| ACAMH paying Members (Online, Concession) | EARLY BIRD £89 (until 15/09/26 then £119)(Join now and save) |
| ACAMH Learn Account Holders | EARLY BIRD £119 (until 15/09/26 then £149) |
| Non Members | EARLY BIRD £119 (until 15/09/26 then £149) |
| ACAMH Undergraduate/ Postgraduate Members | £10 |
| LMIC Members | Free |
Who should attend
This event is primarily aimed at clinicians working with children and young people, including clinical psychologists, child and adolescent psychiatrists (CAMHS), and psychological therapists, who are managing complex cases involving co-occurring ADHD and depression. It might also be relevant for academics and researchers and allied health professionals like mental health nurses and paediatricians with an interest in neurodevelopmental and mood disorders. The content is best suited for professionals with a foundational understanding of ADHD and depression who are looking to deepen their knowledge of co-occurrence, underlying mechanisms, and evidence-based clinical management.
Talk 1 by Professor Sinead Rhodes – Understanding depression in children and young people with ADHD
Mental health difficulties, including depression, are very common in children and young people with ADHD. Research shows that depression prevalence is more common than in the general population and an earlier presentation is also evident. Rates have varied between studies and one likely contributor is the lack of valid measures of depression for this population. Confounds of depression and ADHD symptoms e.g. concentration, fidgeting, difficulty completing schoolwork, makes measurement and identification of depression in this population difficult.
This talk will outline research that has examined rates of depression in children and young people. Particular attention will be given to rates in studies that have examined sex differences that highlight an increased incidence in girls. Measurement issues will be discussed with a focus on strategies that can help overcome the difficulties associated with screening depression symptoms in this group. A practical focus on useful conversations clinicians and practitioners can have with young people with ADHD will be highlighted. The talk will end with discussion of protective factors that can support the mental health of children and young people with ADHD.
Learning objectives:
- Learn about increased prevalence and rates and the earlier presentation of depression in ADHD
- Learn language to use when have conversations with young people with ADHD about depression
- Learn protective factors that can support the mental health of young people with ADHD
Talk 2 by Dr Olga Eyre – Why are young people with ADHD at increased risk of developing depression?’
Depression commonly co-occurs with ADHD. Understanding why young people with ADHD are at increased risk of developing depression could help to inform prevention and intervention. This talk will consider possible mechanisms underlying the link between ADHD and depression including symptom overlap, shared risk factors, and ADHD as a causal risk factor for depression.
Learning objectives:
- To recognise that depression is common in young people with ADHD
- To gain an understanding of possible reasons why depression is common in young people with ADHD
- To consider why it is important to understand the mechanisms that link ADHD and depression in young people
Talk 3 by Dr. Ramya Srinivasan – Treating ADHD and Depression
This talk will focus on treatment approaches to co-occurring ADHD and depression. We will explore the (limited) evidence base with a focus on pharmacological approaches but will also consider psychosocial and environmental approaches where relevant. We will also consider how treatment approaches may need to be reviewed and modified across developmental stages.
Learning objectives:
- To understand how to assess the co-occurrence of ADHD and low mood
- To understand different management options for co-occurring ADHD and depression
- To understand potential differences in options across different developmental time-points
Meet the Speakers
Dr. Olga Eyre – I am a clinical research fellow and child and adolescent psychiatrist based at the Wolfson Centre for Young People’s Mental Health at Cardiff University. My research to date has focused on irritability, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression in young people. I completed a Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Training Fellowship in 2019, which explored the link between childhood irritability and adolescent depression in young people with ADHD and other neurodevelopmental difficulties. My current role involves working on a randomised controlled trial of a group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) intervention for the prevention of adolescent depression.
Dr. Ramya Srinivasan – I am an Associate Professor and Honorary Consultant in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. I am interested in child and adolescent mental health more broadly, and have a particular interest in mood (i.e. depressive symptoms and irritability) and neurodevelopmental conditions. I want to understand how earlier life factors may relate to future mental health, and how we can improve both preventive and treatment-focussed interventions for child and adolescent mental health problems and improve service provision. I have expertise in epidemiological research, the use of neurocognitive measures within cohort studies and am interested in clinical trials.
Prior to my current role I was a Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Fellow and undertook my PhD which investigated the role of reward processing in the relationship between childhood irritability and adolescent depression. I was previously an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry working on the IMAGINE-ID study which looked at intellectual disabilities and neurodevelopmental of genetic cause.
Sinead Rhodes is a Professor of Developmental Neuropsychology at the University of Edinburgh. She has 30 years experience of conducting and publishing research on Neurodevelopmental conditions including ADHD, autism, Dyspraxia/DCD, FASD and Williams syndrome. Sinead has always regularly engaged young people, parents, educators and clinicians with her research. She ensures their voices are included in research prioritisation, design and dissemination choices. To scale her engagement work with these groups and make it more sustainable she translated her research in to services and resources via a spin-out social enterprise company EPIC Think Learn. The Community Interest Company focus is on translating research in to Psychoeducation resources (e.g. booklets, audios, videos, infographics) and services (e.g. webinar programmes that include direct support and peer support sessions). Sinead’s research has been conducted with children and young people with a wide range of conditions and includes those not yet diagnosed. Sinead is committed to supporting those on lengthy waiting lists and the adults who care for them while they wait.
Programme
| 14:00 | Professor Sinead Rhodes – Understanding depression in children and young people with ADHD |
| 14:40 | Q&A with Professor Sinead Rhodes |
| 14:55 | Dr. Olga Eyre – Why are young people with ADHD at increased risk of developing depression? |
| 14:55 | Q&A with Dr. Olga Eyre |
| 15:50 | Refreshment and reflection |
| 16:05 | Dr. Ramya Srinivasan – Treating ADHD and Depression |
| 16:45 | Q&A with Dr. Ramya Srinivasan |
| 17:00 | Close |
FAQs on the Topic
1. Do ADHD and depression often co-occur in children and young people?
Yes. ADHD commonly co-occurs with other conditions, and depression is one of the more frequently seen. Shared genetic influences, difficulties with emotional regulation, and the social and academic strain of living with ADHD can all raise the risk of low mood. Evidence-based practice suggests that young people affected by both tend to face greater difficulty than either condition alone.
2. Can childhood ADHD lead to depression later in adolescence?
Evidence suggests childhood ADHD can raise the risk of depression emerging later in adolescence and early adulthood. Early irritability, persistent ADHD symptoms, peer difficulties and academic struggles may each contribute to this pathway. Understanding these early markers offers scope for identifying young people at greater risk, so support can be put in place before low mood becomes established.
3. How does depression present in young people with ADHD?
Depression symptoms in young people with ADHD are broadly similar to those seen more widely, but they occur more often and can be harder to spot. Low mood may sit alongside irritability, restlessness and concentration difficulties that overlap with ADHD itself. Presentations also vary, with some showing prominent low self-esteem or distressing thoughts, so careful assessment matters.
4. Why is co-occurring ADHD and depression easy to miss?
Depression is often under-recognised in young people with ADHD. Overlapping symptoms such as poor concentration, irritability and disturbed sleep can be put down to ADHD alone, while many screening tools were not designed with this group in mind. For autistic young people, differences in how distress is expressed add further complexity. Careful, tailored assessment helps ensure low mood is not overlooked.
5. How is co-occurring ADHD and depression managed in children and young people?
Where depression co-occurs, both conditions usually need attention rather than ADHD alone. Management typically combines psychoeducation, adjustments at home and school, and talking therapies such as CBT, alongside careful review of any medication. Evidence specific to treating the two together is limited, and depression is rarely addressed in ADHD guidance, so accurate recognition of low mood remains an important first step.