Genomic studies of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have advanced the understanding of its neurobiology but are still constrained by one of the most pronounced Eurocentric biases in psychiatric genetics. Expanding ADHD genomics to under-represented populations, particularly in Latin America, offers a unique opportunity to yield transformative discoveries by capturing the genetic diversity of admixed individuals. We call for a global, coordinated effort to prioritize diversity in ADHD research, not only to foster innovation in precision psychiatry but also to ensure that these advancements benefit all populations equitably.
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Acknowledgements
We acknowledge support from the US National Institute of Mental Health (grant number R01MH131013), the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), Brazil (grant number 2020/05652-0), and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brazil (grant number 405434/2023-5).
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In the past 2 years, E.H.G. has been a speaker for Bial (Portugal) and Takeda (Brazil). In the past 3 years, L.A.R. has received grant or research support from, served as a consultant to and served on the speakers’ bureaus of Abdi Ibrahim, Abbott, Aché, Adium, Apsen, Bial, Knight Therapeutics, Medice, Novartis–Sandoz, Pfizer–Upjohn–Viatris, and Shire–Takeda; L.A.R. has also received authorship royalties from Oxford Press and ArtMed. The ADHD and Juvenile Bipolar Disorder Outpatient Programs chaired by L.A.R. have received unrestricted educational and research support from Novartis–Sandoz and Shire–Takeda in the past 3 years. All other authors declare no competing interests.
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Nature Mental Health thanks Jessica Agnew-Blais, Sonja LaBianca and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.
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da Silva, B.S., Bau, C.H.D., Nicolini, H. et al. Shaping the future of ADHD genetic research through ancestral diversity. Nat. Mental Health (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-025-00572-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-025-00572-7
