In potentially concerning news for my wife, being in a relationship with someone diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could be bad for your mental health and quality of life.

While I’m sure many folks with ADHD have already gleaned this from their own scatterbrained relationship behaviors, a Hebrew University study published in the Journal of Attention Disorders takes a closer look at the experiences of women in relationships with ADHD partners — so now there’s research to back it up.

The study’s findings reveal that women partnered with ADHD people may face an increased risk of depressive symptoms and reduced quality of life.

The study involved 100 heterosexual adult couples between ages 20 and 60 years, who had been in a cohabiting relationship for at least two years to ensure that the relationships studied were stable and representative of long-term dynamics.

Notably, partners with ADHD who experience more difficulties in daily functioning are linked to higher levels of depression and lower quality of life in their female partners without ADHD.

The paper acknowledges that this “aligns with studies revealing that marital challenges disproportionately affect women’s psychological well-being.” While not mentioned explicitly, it is likely also compounded by the typical amount of mental load that female relationship partners end up with already.

While the onus of responsibility for resolving this issue should perhaps fall upon the ADHD partner, the study points out that there are some ways that women can protect themselves against the negative effects.

The study points out that engaging in health-promoting activities (like eating well, exercising, and taking necessary time to unwind) was found to be positively associated with the female non-ADHD partner’s quality of life and negatively correlated with depressive symptoms.

“Our findings emphasize the importance of viewing ADHD as a condition that impacts not only the individual but also their close relationships,” explained the study’s authors, Dana Zeides Taubin, Haya Fogel-Grinvald and Adina Maeir from HUJ’s School of Occupational Therapy.

They also pointed out that more research is necessary to figure out the finer details of the relationships at play here.

“By addressing the well-being of partners, we can take a more holistic approach to treatment, offering both individuals and couples the tools they need to improve their quality of life.”