Is There a Relationship Between ADHD and COVID-19 Prevalence and Mortality Indices? An Analysis of Data From 156 Countries

Objective: To examine the relationship between nation-level prevalence of ADHD and COVID-19 prevalence and mortality indices.

Method: Associations between nation-wise estimated prevalence, crude mortality rates and case-fatality ratios for COVID-19 and estimated prevalence rates for ADHD were examined, controlling for medical conditions known to be associated with COVID-19 outcome, as well as demographic, climate-related, and economic variables.

Results: Prevalence of ADHD was positively correlated with COVID-19 prevalence and crude mortality rates on bivariate analyses, though the strength of this association was low. On multivariate regression, prevalence of ADHD was negatively associated with COVID-19 prevalence and crude mortality rates, though only the former finding was statistically significant.

Conclusion: The association between ADHD and COVID-19 prevalence and mortality at a national level is inconsistent, modest, and may be largely due to confounding factors such as age, lifestyle factors, and medical comorbidities.