Table 1.
Summary of mental health reviews.
| Mental health | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental health area | Number of reviews | Association | No association |
| Addiction | 16 reviews*: 2 internet addiction 1 gambling 8 substance/alcohol 4 gaming 1 mixed |
2 reviews showed an association with internet addiction. 1 shows a positive association with gambling 8 reviews showed a positive association between ADHD and various forms of substance/alcohol addiction (including substance misuse, alcohol and cigarettes) 4 reviews showed a positive association between ADHD and gaming issues. 1 mixed showed a positive association with behavioural addiction (including gaming, sex and internet addiction) |
1 of the 8 reviews on substance/alcohol found no association between ADHD and alcohol misuse |
| Suicide and self-harm | 8 reviews | 8 reviews showed a positive association between ADHD and suicide or self-harming behaviours. 4 reviews specifically highlight the mediating link of co-morbidities in this relationship | |
| Mood and personality disorders | 8 reviews 1 OCD 7 bipolar and mood disorders |
8 reviews showed a positive association with mood disorders but with the caution that the relationship was less evident in longitudinal research. Two reviews showed a positive association in adults with anxiety. The review on OCD showed a link in children but not adults |
|
| Other disorders | 7 reviews 4 eating disorders 3 psychotic disorders |
6 reviews explored other topics including eating disorders and psychotic disorders. Overall, the reviews indicated a positive relationship between ADHD and these disorders including schizophrenia and anxiety | |
| Self-esteem | 1 review | The review showed a positive association among adults | |
*Biederman’s paper covered multiple topics, hence the number of reviews in each topic is more than the sum of the total papers.