Mental Health Disorders and Hyperthyroidism in the Pediatric Population

* Abbreviation: ADHD — : attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder Hyperthyroidism (particularly Graves’ disease) affects people of all ages, with symptomatology including restlessness and inability to focus, anxiety, weight loss, tachycardia, heat intolerance, diaphoresis, and diarrhea. The conventional wisdom is that symptoms resolve once the hyperthyroidism is adequately treated. However, authors of some reports suggest that with respect to mental health, this may not be the case. In this issue, Zader et al1 investigate this question and conclude that children with hyperthyroidism have a higher prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), adjustment disorder, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, and suicidality. The authors used the Military Health System Data Repository to identify children aged 10 to 18 years in the military system for ≥1 month who had International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision or International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes for hyperthyroidism and the aforementioned mental health conditions. The Military Health System Data Repository included >2.5 million children, with a total of nearly 2500 children with hyperthyroidism during a 9-year interval. Compared with children without hyperthyroidism, the prevalence ratios of mental health conditions in those with hyperthyroidism ranged from … Address correspondence to Rebecca Schneider Aguirre, MD, PhD, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Riley Hospital for Children, 705 Riley Hospital Dr, Room 5960, Indianapolis, IN 46202. E-mail: rsaguirr{at}iupui.edu