In honor of (or in spite of) my recent concussion, here’s a study on the increased rate of head injury and accidents in adults with ADHD. 

The study looked at the health, pharmaceutical, and disability claims for 100,000 employees and their families.  Children (28% vs 18%), adolescents (32% vs. 23%), and adults (38% vs. 18%) with ADHD had more accident claims than those without ADHD.   ADHD adults’ patient costs were significantly more than non-ADHD adults ($483 vs. $186). 

However, for everyone that did file a claim, there was no difference between the number of claims filed by those with ADHD and those without ADHD (3.6 vs. 3.5). 

The study concluded that the rate of accidents for people with ADHD was 1.7 times greater than for those without ADHD. 

Swensen, A., Birnbaum, H. G., Hamadi, R. B., Greenberg, P., Cremieux, P. Y., Secnik, K. (2004).  Incidence and costs of accidents among attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder patients.  Journal of Adolescent Health, 35(4), 346-347.

Study abstract