Gabor Mate’, MD has proposed that ADHD is NOT genetic or inherited but arises out of exposure to childhood traumatic events (as well as cross generational trauma that may be transmitted from parents to their children). Note that while Dr. Mate’ is a celebrity and medical specialist in general family medicine, he has not conducted or published any research in ADHD that I am able to locate. Yet he has appeared in various videos and podcasts, including the Joe Rogan Experience, pontificating his views of ADHD. In this video, I critically examine his thesis to show that Dr. Mate’ is not only wrong, but worse than wrong. He is worse than wrong because hundreds of research studies directly contradict his thesis, yet he continues to advocate these ideas, nonetheless. His propagation of nonsense in the mainstream media does real harm as it contradicts what the scientific literature is telling us about ADHD. Here I cite several research reviews, meta-analyses, and large-scale studies to show just how complex is the relationship of ADHD to adverse childhood experiences (trauma) and that having ADHD as a child can set one up for experiencing greater such events than would be the case for those who don’t have ADHD. I also explain the role of parental ADHD in not only genetically transmitting ADHD to their offspring, but of how parental ADHD may contribute to a more chaotic and even adverse family ecology that itself sets the child up for greater adverse experiences. In short, Dr. Mate’ and his ideas about ADHD arising purely from trauma and not being genetic in nature are foolishly simplistic and without any sound scientific basis. And, thus they are worse than wrong.

Website for Dr. Mate’: https://drgabormate.com/about/

Wikipedia entry for Dr. Mate’: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabor_Maté

Book by Dr. Mate’ on ADHD (Scattered Minds): https://www.amazon.com/Scattered-Minds-Origins-Attention-Disorder/dp/1785042211

Interview with Dr. Mate’ on Joe Rogan Experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jQSOSi2DA8

Lecture by Dr. Mate’ in Norway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEa0-t4Icss

Review of Genetics of ADHD: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380%E2%80%90018%E2%80%900070%E2%80%900

Review of Genetics of ADHD for Clinicians: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11920-020-1141-x

Meta-analysis of twin and adoption studies on the heritability of ADHD: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2010-02209-001

Genetic determinants of exposure to adversity in youth at risk for mental illness:
https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jcpp.13159

The role of ADHD in increasing future risk for adverse experiences: https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jcpp.13352

The intergenerational transmission of ADHD and the role of family and unique environments:
https://europepmc.org/article/ppr/ppr531866#impact