General information about ADHD

Numerous studies have found that people with ADHD are more likely to get injured than those without ADHD. These injuries may be due to falls, traffic accidents, burns or poisoning, and can vary in severity. It has been observed that between 5 and 6% of people without ADHD, at some point in their lives, have had a serious injury requiring hospital care. This figure, however, is 65% higher among people with ADHD. This increased risk of physical injury is most likely because people with ADHD have attention problems, are easily distracted, and take drugs more often than people without ADHD.

The most frequent and severe physical injuries people with ADHD have are the result of accidents, particularly road traffic accidents. It has been observed that people with ADHD are 20-30% more likely to have a traffic accident than people without ADHD. For people with ADHD who also have a substance or drug use disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, or a conduct disorder, this risk is even higher. This means people with ADHD also have a higher mortality rate as a result of the higher number of accidents. Research shows that 2-3 people in 10,000 without ADHD die each year. This figure rises to almost 6 among people with ADHD, accidents being the main cause of death.