Navigating Anxiety and Depression in Kids with ADHD: Support Strategies for Parents

Learn how to recognize and support children with ADHD struggling with anxiety and depression, with effective strategies for building self-compassion and emotional resilience.

Key Concepts

Studies have shown 3 out of 10 kids with ADHD also struggle with anxiety to some degree and 7 out of 10 will be treated for depression at some point in their lives.
Dealing with the challenges of ADHD (like the Executive Function challenges we have discussed i.e. working memory, organization, etc.), having difficulties socially, or struggling at school can all cause kids stress to go up and their self-esteem to go down. This in turn can start to show up as anxiety or depression.
Worries and anxiety are a normal part of development for all children.
In the elementary years, anxiety and worries often revolve around new independence, social situations and friendships, and navigating new experiences.
Anxiety might look different from one child to another. For example, research has found that girls tend to feel more comfortable verbalizing that they feel worried, anxious, sad, or ashamed.
Boys on the other hand, often express fear, worries, and embarrassment as anger
What we want to highlight is that anxiety is part of life. So one of the best things we can do for our children is empower them with the confidence that they will be able to tolerate it and live life anyway.
Anxiety becomes a problem when a child’s time is mostly spent worrying, avoiding fun activities, or refusing to go to school.
With depression we don’t necessarily have to be worried if our kids have a case of the “blues.” What we do want to monitor is if these feelings become so overwhelming that it’s beginning to impact daily functioning

What to Try

One of the best things we can do for our child is help them build their self-compassion. Self-compassion is being kind and understanding toward ourselves when we make a mistake or do something we aren’t proud of.
Anxious kids struggle with flooding. This is when anxious thoughts come pouring in all at once and feel overwhelming. This is especially true for our ADHD kiddos who have a harder time with self-regulation.
To help them when this arises - teach your child to practice thought-stopping at home. In a calm moment, have your child practice saying, “No. Stop telling me that, worry brain. I can do this.” When kids “talk back” to their worry brains and replace anxious thoughts with positive ones, they can interrupt the worry cycle and reset themselves.
A unique, parent-based intervention, called SPACE, has also proven effective to combat anxiety. It stands for: Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions.
If you think your child is struggling with depression:
- Talk with your child about how they are feeling. Let them know you see that they're having a hard time right now and that you're there to support and love them.
- Set up a visit with your child's doctor. You want to rule out any health issues that could be causing your child's symptoms. They can also screen for depression and can be a great resource for finding a child therapist if that is the next step.
- Enjoy time together. Spend time with your child doing things you both enjoy.
- Encourage a healthy lifestyle. Provide healthy meals and stick to a consistent bedtime. Encourage your child to play a sport or even just take regular walks with them, because we know exercise helps relieve stress.
- Help them feel connected. Depression can lead to isolation. While you can’t make your child have friends or force them to socialize. you can - encourage your child to join a club at school or attend activities, schedule play dates at your house, or plan family gatherings.