Children with low attention are more likely to develop mental health conditions in adulthood

Children who struggle with memory issues and have a poor attention span are more likely to develop mental health conditions when they become adults, study shows.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham analysed data from a cohort of 13,988 individuals born in 1991 and 1992 and re-examined over decades.

They set out to look for any links between childhood cognitive problems such as lack of control and memory issues, and later life mental health conditions.  

They found that poor attention span in eight year olds could lead to depression at 18, and memory problems at ten could lead to hypomania when they are 22 years old.

Targeting specific markers in childhood for early treatment may help to minimise the risk of developing certain psychopathological problems later in life. the team said.

This includes conditions such as borderline personality disorder, depression and psychosis that can begin to show in people as young as 17 or 18 years old.

Cognitive deficits are core features of mental disorders and important in predicting long-term prognosis, according to lead author Dr Isabel Morales-Munoz.

The work from this new study seems to show that individual patterns of these deficits, such as a short attention span, predate some mental health disorders.  

Morales-Muñoz said: ‘Prevention strategies focussed on easing these specific cognitive issues could help to reduce the likelihood of such children developing linked mental health problems in adolescence and early adulthood.’

The study was the first to explore specific links between cognitive deficits in childhood and psychopathological issues in young people over a period of time.

Deficits in sustained attention at eight years being associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms at 11-12 is consistent with similar deficits in adult BPD patients linked to difficulties in sticking to therapy programmes. 

Previous evidence also suggests a significant link between adult BPD and childhood Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms.

This indicates that ADHD could represent a risk factor for BPD, the team explained.

The study also supports the theory that lack of inhibition in childhood precedes later psychotic experiences, with a lack of inhibitory control common in psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. 

Mental disorders cause a significant disease burden globally and at least 10% of children and adolescents worldwide have a mental disorder. 

The team said that 75% of mental disorders diagnosed in adults have their onset in childhood and adolescence.

Bipolar disorder, depression and psychosis commonly emerge during adolescence and continue in young adulthood – potentially related to anomalies in the way adolescents mature caused by psychosocial, biological or environmental factors.

‘It’s crucial to study the onset of mental disorders at these early stages and evaluate which risk factors predate these conditions,’ said co-author Matthew Broome.

‘These factors are core features of mental disorders such as psychosis and mood disorders,’ he explained.

They set out to look for any links between childhood cognitive problems such as lack of control and memory issues, and later life mental health conditions. Stock image

‘Deficits in cognitive function, ranging from decreased attention and working memory to disrupted social cognition and language, are common in psychiatric disorders,’ added senior author of the study Professor Steven Marwaha.

‘They severely compromise quality of life and could potentially predate serious mental health conditions by several years.’ 

The findings have been published in the journal JAMA Network Open.