Paraphilic disorders tended to be more prevalent among individuals with ADHD than among control subjects, with voyeurism, voyeuristic disorder, exhibitionism, sadism, and pedophilic disorder more frequently observed in the ADHD group, suggesting greater psychological distress related to paraphilic interests among individuals with ADHD.
Paraphilic disorders tended to be more prevalent among individuals with ADHD compared to control subjects.
Voyeurism and voyeuristic disorder were more frequently observed in the ADHD group than in controls.
Exhibitionism and sadism were more frequently observed in individuals with ADHD than in controls.
Pedophilic disorder was more frequently observed in the ADHD group than in controls.
Individuals with ADHD are more likely than the general population to exhibit increased sexual desire and engage in risky sexual behaviors.
The authors identified a clinical need to distinguish between individuals with ADHD and paraphilic interests who pose no risk of sexual offending and those who may pose such a risk.
This research suggests that adults diagnosed with ADHD may be more likely than people without ADHD to have certain unusual sexual interests (called paraphilias) and, more importantly, paraphilic disorders — which are paraphilias that cause personal distress or involve non-consenting people. The study compared 50 adults with ADHD to 136 people without ADHD and found that interests such as voyeurism (sexual arousal from watching others without consent), exhibitionism (exposing oneself), sadism (sexual arousal from others' pain), and pedophilia appeared more often in the ADHD group, particularly among men. While many of these differences did not reach conventional levels of statistical certainty — partly due to the small sample size — the overall pattern was consistent enough that the authors considered it meaningful and worthy of further investigation. This research suggests there may be a connection between ADHD-related difficulties with impulse control and the development of or distress from atypical sexual interests. The authors were careful to distinguish between people who simply have unusual sexual fantasies (which are not inherently harmful) and those whose interests cause them suffering or create risk for others. The study raises awareness that clinicians treating people with ADHD should be prepared to sensitively discuss sexual health topics, and that when risk of harmful sexual behavior is identified, specific therapeutic or medication-based interventions may be needed. Because this was a preliminary and relatively small observational study, the findings should be interpreted cautiously and not generalized too broadly. The study does not mean that most people with ADHD have problematic sexual interests, but it does suggest that clinicians and researchers should pay more attention to this area. Further larger studies are needed to confirm these patterns and better understand the relationship between ADHD, impulse regulation, and sexual behavior.
L. Soldati, M. Deiber, R. Hasler, Ben Meuleman, Martin Desseilles, Nader Perroud. (2026). Paraphilias and paraphilic disorders in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: an observational study.. Journal of Psychiatric Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2026.03.041