Gender & (ADD) ADHD
Underdiagnosis of ADHD in Girls
Until recently it was believed that ADHD was more prevalent in males than in females. Because most ADHD studies focused on boys, the symptoms of ADHD in girls traditionally went unrecognized. It is estimated that the disorder is diagnosed three to nine times more often in boys than in girls. Yet in adults the disorder occurs with the same frequency among men and women, suggesting that ADHD may be as common in girls as it is in boys.
Gender Differences in (ADD) ADHD Childhood Symptoms
Recent studies of girls with ADHD suggest that the higher rate of ADHD diagnosis in boys may be largely because they tend to exhibit more noticeable symptoms such as disruptive or oppositional behavior. Current findings on ADHD in girls indicate that girls with the condition more typically suffer from inattention and distractibility rather than hyperactivity and aggression. For this reason, their symptoms are often overlooked, and they remain undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Whereas boys with ADHD often blurt out, interrupt, and show disruptive or aggressive behavior, girls with ADHD are more likely to be forgetful, timid, distracted, easily defeated, anxious, and depressed.
Gender Trends in Adults with (ADD) ADHD
Among adults diagnosed with ADHD, women tend to show more pronounced long-term psychological problems stemming from their condition, including depression and anxiety. This may be because they are typically diagnosed later in life than boys are and therefore miss opportunities for early intervention. Recent studies indicate that girls with ADHD suffer more than boys from long-term effects of poor self-esteem. Such girls are at greater than normal risk for problems such as unwanted pregnancies, substance use disorder, divorce, financial trouble, eating disorders, incomplete education, and underemployment.
Need for Further Research
Researchers agree that further studies are needed to understand ADHD gender differences both in rate of incidence and in symptoms. What seems to be clear, however, is that gender differences exist, and ADHD appears to occur more often in girls than previously thought.