# Ask for anxiety and depression care

Published by Pawel Jozefiak. [About this project](https://adhd100.jock.pl/about/), [How we check sources](https://adhd100.jock.pl/methodology/)

- Canonical: https://adhd100.jock.pl/coordinate-anxiety-depression-care/
- Language: en
- First published: 2026-09-29
- Evidence checked: 2026-09-29, using AI-assisted source verification
- Clinical review: Not clinically reviewed
- Number 10 of 100 in the list: https://adhd100.jock.pl/#coordinate-anxiety-depression-care

Tell your clinician about persistent anxiety or depression, so your care plan covers more than ADHD.

**The number:** Treat co-occurring conditions or refer for appropriate care ([American Academy of Pediatrics, 2019](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7067282/))

## The evidence

- How sure: Certainty of evidence: Guideline advice, not formally graded. Measured in people with ADHD.
- Evidence grade: A. Grade A: moderate or high certainty evidence in people with ADHD, or an explicit ADHD guideline recommendation.
- Basis: AAP key action statement 7 (AAP grade C recommendation), NICE NG87 1.3.4 and 1.4.13, NHS adult guidance; no combined-treatment effect or GRADE rating claimed
- Benefit: 78/100. The benefit score is an editorial prioritization for the general list, weighted by certainty. It is not a prediction of what will happen for you.

## Why it matters

Anxiety and depression can sit alongside ADHD, and they need their own assessment and treatment plan. The AAP recommends treating co-occurring conditions within the clinician's expertise or referring on, and NICE includes coexisting conditions in every ADHD assessment. NHS adult guidance adds that anxiety and depression can make ADHD symptoms worse. Better control of ADHD symptoms does not mean a separate mood or anxiety disorder has been treated.

## How to do it

1. Describe persistent worry, low mood or loss of interest, and what it does to your days or your child's.
2. Say when these problems started and whether they line up with treatment changes or life events.
3. Find out if you need a separate assessment or referral.
4. Agree which clinician coordinates treatment and checks for interactions between medicines.

## Talk to a clinician first

If you or your child has thoughts of suicide or is in immediate danger, help is available now: contact local emergency services or a crisis line. New severe mood changes need prompt clinical assessment, including review of current medicines.

## Putting it into practice

### Start now

- 1 minute: Write down the mood or anxiety worry you want your clinician to hear about.
- 5 minutes: Write when it started, how often it happens and what it stops you doing.
- 15 minutes: Put your symptom history and current medicine list together for an appointment about combined care.

### What it looks like

- Tell the clinician if low mood hangs on even when attention gets better.
- Ask whether the ADHD team and your anxiety therapist can share notes and coordinate, with your consent.

### Common mistakes

- If you put everything down to ADHD, a separate condition can go unnoticed. Name the mood and the worry out loud.
- With several services involved, nobody may own the plan. Ask who coordinates it.

### A structured start

**Connect the care plans**

1. Raise persistent mood or anxiety symptoms.
2. Ask for assessment, treatment or an appropriate referral.
3. Agree who coordinates care and how progress will be reviewed.

### Trusted how-to guides

- [Tips for Talking With a Health Care Provider About Your Mental Health](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/tips-for-talking-with-your-health-care-provider), NIMH
- [ADHD in adults](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/adhd-adults/), NHS

## Sources

- [Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of ADHD in Children and Adolescents](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7067282/), American Academy of Pediatrics, 2019 (Tier 1 guideline)
- [ADHD in adults](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/adhd-adults/), NHS, 2025 (Tier 1 guideline)
- [Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: What You Need to Know](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-what-you-need-to-know), NIMH, 2024 (Tier 1 guideline)
- [Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management (NG87), recommendations](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng87/chapter/Recommendations), NICE, 2019 (Tier 1 guideline)

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General information about ADHD, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. Tailoring changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess you. Medication decisions belong with you and a qualified clinician.

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Reuse: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/