Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are common diagnoses in the pediatric field. Although rarer, there are cases where an individual child receives both a diagnosis for ADHD and OCD. Research estimates the comorbidity rate (meeting diagnostic criteria for both disorders) for children with ADHD and OCD averages slightly higher than 20%.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shares that children with an ADHD diagnosis are more likely to be comorbid with another mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder by 64%. This means there are children who hold overlapping diagnoses of obsessive-compulsive disorder and attention-deficit hyperactive disorder. It is more likely for a child with obsessive-compulsive disorder to then be diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Symptoms of medical conditions frequently overlap, which is why it is crucial to seek out an expert’s knowledge in their specialized field during a diagnosis. And when children are young, there is difficulty excluding other psychiatric disorders which present later in adolescence, like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.