People with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder had a 71% higher rate of death from any cause than people without the condition, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in JAMA Network Open on 19 October.
What the pooled data showed
The review covered 19 studies and 15,920,970 participants in North America, Europe and Asia. The all-cause estimate pooled data from nine of those studies.
The gap was not driven by one cause. Deaths by suicide were 89% higher, deaths from injuries 55% higher, and deaths from natural causes 27% higher among people with ADHD.
The authors and outside clinicians stress that the figures describe averages across very different populations. The absolute risk of death for any one person with ADHD remains low.
Medication link is weaker than it looks
Medication use was associated with a 25% lower death rate, but only three studies supported that estimate, so the review does not show that drugs prevent early death. Treatment may help, but the evidence is not strong enough to promise a mortality benefit.
Researchers point to pathways that are easier to act on: injuries and accidents, substance use, missed diagnoses, and the practical effects of impulsivity and inattention on daily safety. Sleep problems, which are common in ADHD, also raise risk over time.
What families can do
Clinicians suggest treating the diagnosis as a long-term health issue rather than a school problem. That means regular follow-up, attention to sleep and driving safety, screening for depression and anxiety, and a plan for substance use risk in adolescence.
For adults, the same logic applies: continued treatment, blood pressure and heart checks if stimulants are used, and honest conversations about mental health. The study's message is not that a diagnosis shortens life on its own, but that the condition brings risks that can be watched for and often reduced.
Advocacy groups said the findings add urgency to long waiting lists for assessment and to gaps in adult services, where many patients lose access to care after leaving school.