Emotional disorders

Abstract

Emotional disorders in children with ADHD are often difficult to detect. The emotional problems that occur in children with ADHD fall into three categories: emotional characteristics of ADHD (low frustration tolerance, preoccupation, thrill-seeking, dysthymia, and overexcitability), reactive emotions to having ADHD, and coexisting emotional disorders (depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and bipolar disorder). Inefficient inhibitory processes in the brain are the basis of these emotional difficulties. It is essential to be aware of the frequent occurrence of emotional disorders in children with ADHD. This chapter discusses emotional disorders in ADHD, including the emotional characteristics of ADHD, reactive emotions, and coexisting emotional disorders.