People with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a 70% higher risk of dying early than people without the diagnosis. That is the finding of the largest review on the topic: researchers from University College London (UCL) and the University of Liverpool pooled 19 studies covering nearly 16 million people. The paper was published on October 19, 2026, in JAMA Network Open.
What the researchers found
The team compared death rates for people with and without ADHD and broke them down by cause:
- suicide: 90% higher;
- injuries, accidental or intentional (such as road crashes): 55% higher;
- illness and other natural causes: 27% higher.
The data came from three continents, and some studies followed people for more than 20 years.
What "70% higher" really means
This is relative risk, which is easy to confuse with absolute risk. It does not mean 70% of people with ADHD will die early. It means that if, say, 10 in 10,000 people in a group die in a year, about 17 in 10,000 people with ADHD would. The increase is real, but for any one person the absolute risk stays small.
Why this happens
ADHD is more than being easily distracted. It is a difference in how the brain works that makes it hard to hold attention, control impulses and manage emotions. The authors point to several pathways:
- Impulsivity and risk. Snap decisions lead to more injuries, and distraction behind the wheel to more crashes.
- Mental health. Anxiety and depression are more common, and trouble regulating emotions can make a crisis sharper.
- Physical health. The same team's earlier work found higher rates of heart disease, diabetes and metabolic disorders. Smoking and alcohol may also play a role.
- Healthcare and society. Booking appointments, showing up and sticking to treatment is harder with ADHD. Stigma and social exclusion add to it.
Does treatment help?
There is a cautiously hopeful signal. People taking ADHD medication had about a 25% lower risk of death. But that result rests on only 3 of the 19 studies, and the authors warn against firm conclusions.
"Our findings provide early evidence to suggest that medication may play an important role," said first author Lucy Corrigan of the University of Liverpool.
The key caveats
All 19 studies were observational: researchers analyzed records rather than running an experiment. So the review shows a link, not proof that ADHD itself is the cause. Results also varied a lot between studies.
"ADHD is not by definition a life-limiting condition," stressed senior author Professor Joshua Stott of UCL. The right support and treatment, he said, can help people with ADHD live long and healthy lives.
If you recognize ADHD signs in yourself, a psychiatrist is a good place to start: adults can be diagnosed and treated. If you are struggling or having thoughts of harming yourself, reach out now to someone you trust, a doctor or a local crisis line. Why so many people find it hard to speak up is something we explored in why men stay silent about depression.
