If both parents have ADD, are there any chances the offspring can inherit it?

[katie883]

to make it short, I have an ADD. But I just want to know if it could be a factor that I inherit it from my parents?
Most of the time, when I'm talking to either of my mom & dad, their mind is always somewhere else (note: talking to them on a normal state, not like they're busy or something). Its like sometimes you thought you've told them already, but they didn't really absorbed it. Sometimes when you're talking to them, their eyes focuses on different directions and not really absorbing what you're saying. and another thing, most of the time, when i'm telling my mom something, in a manner of showing or demonstrating something, she was just like nodding and nodding or like raising her brows in a manner of "yes" but not looking at what im pointing and her eyes kept wandering on different directions, its really weird (i mean, why would you nod or show such gestures if you haven't seen yet what the person is showing or pointing you?), and my dad, when i talk to him its like his mind is on the other side of the world, you have to repeat it many times or clap your hands in front of his face (just kidding) for him to absorb & response to what you're saying (its like you're talking to a deaf person). I don't if they have ADD, both of them are not aware of how they're like nor even about ADD. Do you think its a sign? (during their times, mental health or psychiatric issues wasn't really given much attention, not as open as in today's generation).

[jessieeee16]

whats add?

[j17c27]

yeah its inherited, it runs through my family but is only inherited through the males oddly.  but what has this got to do with depression?

[psychresident]

First, your inclinations about your parents having ADHD because they seem to have a difficult time listening to you isn't sufficient to conclude that they have a clinical problem. Generally, the metric for diagnosing someone with a mental disorder is that there is some kind of impairment in functioning (e.g., occupational, interpersonal, etc.) or that the problem causes significant subjective distress. Moreover, it is unclear whether other symptoms of ADHD (aside from difficulty listening to directions, information) are present.

Second, there is no indication that you are experiencing any symptoms yourself, which is ultimately the key question in deciding whether or not you have a mental illness. If you think you have some symptoms of ADHD and these are making it difficult for you to function, best to seek evaluation by a professional (you can discuss this with your primary care physician for advice and/or referral).

But, the question you pose about the heritability of ADHD is an interesting one, and unfortunately, one that is yet unsettled within the scientific community. Some have suggested that ADHD is highly heritable, and possibly more so than other strongly heritable pathologies, such as breast cancer, heart disease and depression. BUT, even the measurement of ADHD is up in the air, and more reasonable investigations of the issue have further clarified that BOTH genetic and environmental factors are important to the development of the disorder and that the genetic mechanisms here are likely complex (see Faraone & Doyle, 2001).

The moral here is that, even if we knew positively that your parents could be diagnosed with ADHD, you should remember that very few disorders (even medical problems) that are perfectly heritable (meaning that if your parents have it, then you definitely do, too), and mental disorders are likely even more imperfect because of their complexity. So to answer your question, no, I don't think it's a sign, but if you are having problems yourself, you should seek the help of a professional. If your parents' inattentiveness is causing problems within your family, you should encourage them to seek help for themselves (and possibly, your family together).

[katie883]

about your second statement, I already mentioned i have ADD/ADHD. just believe me. why? because my psychiatrist says so.

[psychresident]

Ha. My apologies for missing that part of your question. Still, I thought the crux of your question was "either my parents or I have attentional problems, so does that mean that both of us do (because heritability might be involved)?" And the answer is no, but the question of heritability is much, much more complex than a simple answer can convey and research is ongoing. There does appear to be a heritable element here, but that isn't the only key to etiology, and we're a long way off from specifying just how heritable ADHD is.

I'll try to be more careful next time, and best of luck.