Is ADHD Genetic? What the Research Says About Inheriting ADHD

Short answer: Yes, ADHD is strongly genetic. Its heritability is estimated at 70–80%,¹² and it often runs in families. But there’s no single “ADHD gene”, genes interact with other factors, and ADHD isn’t caused by parenting style.³

How much of ADHD is genetic?

Heritability describes how much of the variation in a trait across a population is explained by genetic differences. For ADHD, the Australian ADHD Guideline puts it at 70–80% in both children and adults,¹ and twin studies estimate about 74%.⁴ healthdirect, the Australian Government’s health information service, puts it simply: genetic studies show ADHD is an inherited disorder, and it can’t be completely prevented.⁵

High heritability doesn’t mean ADHD is inevitable if a parent has it. It means that, across many people, differences in genes explain much of who develops ADHD and who doesn’t.

Is ADHD inherited from the mother or the father?

It can come from either. ADHD isn’t passed down through a single gene — research points to many common genetic variants, each with a small effect,⁴ which can be inherited from either parent. If ADHD runs in your family, it may show up on either side.

Are you born with ADHD?

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that begins in early childhood,⁵ and for a diagnosis, symptoms must have been present before age 12 — although a diagnosis may not happen until much later.¹ Many adults were missed as children because their symptoms were put down to personality, masked by coping strategies or overshadowed by other difficulties. See does ADHD get worse with age?

What else contributes?

The exact causes of ADHD aren’t known. healthdirect lists factors linked to a higher risk, including smoking or drinking alcohol during pregnancy, premature birth and low birth weight.⁵ In most children with ADHD, though, no environmental risk factor is identified.¹ The Senate inquiry into ADHD summarised the research as showing ADHD is an interaction of genetic, social and environmental factors.²

Some common beliefs aren’t supported by the evidence. ADHD is not caused by parenting style,³ and there’s no evidence it’s caused by particular foods such as additives.⁶

What it means for families

If a child, sibling or parent has been diagnosed, it can be worth considering whether symptoms you’ve lived with for years might be ADHD too. ADHD is diagnosed clinically — from your symptoms and history against the DSM-5 criteria — not with a genetic test, so the way to find out is an assessment. Start with the free ADHD self-assessment, or read how to get diagnosed with ADHD in Australia.

Frequently asked questions

Is ADHD genetic?

Largely, yes. ADHD is highly heritable — heritability is estimated at 70–80% — and it often runs in families. Genes interact with other factors, and there is no single cause.

Is ADHD inherited from the mother or the father?

It can come from either parent. ADHD isn’t passed down through a single gene; research points to many genetic variants, each with a small effect, which can be inherited from either side of the family.

Are you born with ADHD?

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that begins in early childhood, so in that sense yes — although many people aren’t diagnosed until adulthood.

If I have ADHD, will my child have it?

Not necessarily, but because ADHD runs in families the chance is higher than average. If you notice signs in your child, talk to your GP.

Next steps

Read what is ADHD? and is ADHD a mental illness?, or book an assessment.

This article is general information only and is not medical advice. Only a qualified health professional can diagnose ADHD. ADHD GP is a private telehealth clinic staffed by AHPRA-registered Australian GPs.

Book your ADHD assessment

References

1. Australian ADHD Professionals Association. About ADHD (Australian ADHD Guideline). 2022. adhdguideline.aadpa.com.au — ADHD prevalence is 6–10% in Australian children and 2–6% in adults; heritability 70–80%; symptoms are present before age 12 though diagnosis may come later; 60–86% show symptomatic persistence into adulthood.
2. Parliament of Australia — Senate Community Affairs References Committee. Assessment and support services for people with ADHD — Chapter 1. 2023. www.aph.gov.au — ADHD occurs in about 6–10% of Australian children and adolescents and 2–6% of adults; heritability is estimated at 70–80%; Deloitte estimated 814,500 Australians living with ADHD in 2019 at a cost of $20.42 billion.
3. Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). 2026. www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au — ADHD has a strong genetic component and is not caused by parenting style.
4. Faraone SV, Larsson H. Genetics of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Molecular Psychiatry. 2019. PubMed PMID 29892054 — Twin studies estimate the heritability of ADHD at about 74%.
5. healthdirect (Australian Government). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). 2025. www.healthdirect.gov.au — ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that begins in early childhood; around 1 in 20 people in Australia has ADHD; it is partly genetic; an adult diagnosis requires evidence that symptoms began in childhood; learning difficulties can occur alongside it.
6. Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). ADHD — therapies. 2026. www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au — Stimulants act on dopamine release; short-acting forms last about 3 hours and long-acting forms 6–12+ hours; doses may be increased gradually over 3–4 weeks; there is no evidence ADHD is caused by food additives.

Sources were last checked on 5 October 2026. See all sources used on this site on our Sources page.