Between 2020 and 2022, the population of adult women diagnosed with ADHD nearly doubled. Often considered a “boys disorder,” girls are significantly less likely than boys to be diagnosed with ADHD. But this is by no means saying there is a lower prevalence of attention disorder in girls or women. Instead, girls with ADHD tend to present differently than boys and teachers and practitioners often overlook their symptoms.
From a young age, women face difficulties receiving a diagnosis of ADHD. Disorders that go hand-in-hand with ADHD in girls, like anxiety and depression, can overshadow ADHD symptoms and lead physicians to misdiagnose their young female patients. Inward behaviors, like inattentiveness, are more common in girls with ADHD than outward behaviors, such as hyperactivity. In the classroom, hyperactive boys are noticed and dealt with by teachers, while inattentive female students remain ignored because their behavior is manageable. As a result, women learn strategic coping skills for their ADHD throughout their lives, further mitigating the external appearance of their disorder. Researchers Arcia and Conners (1998) determined that the self-perception of adult women with ADHD is poorer than that of men with ADHD or women without an ADHD diagnosis. Learn more
Studies have shown differences in dopamine release, cognitive function, and sensation seeking between men and women in response to stimulant drugs like amphetamine, often used to treat ADHD (Quinn & Madhoo, 2014). The effects of amphetamine in women vary based on their menstrual cycle, with greater euphoric and stimulating effects observed during the follicular phase, when estrogen levels are higher, compared to the luteal phase. This research suggests that the response to ADHD medications might need to be adjusted throughout the menstrual cycle for better symptom control for women.
Cognitive therapy can be a helpful tool in your ADHD arsenal. Some cognitive therapists specialize in working behaviorally with clients to improve executive functioning skills which may be helpful for aspects of ADHD. While we here at CTWPS do not specialize in executive functioning coaching, we do support our clients in managing the anxiety and isolation that often surrounds their ADHD experience. If that is something that you’d like to explore more in depth, reach out to us to learn more!
References
Arcia, E., & Conners, K. C. (1998). Gender Differences in ADHD? Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 19(2), 77. https://journals.lww.com/jrnldbp/Abstract/1998/04000/Gender_Differences_in_ADHD_.3.aspx
Quinn, P. O., & Madhoo, M. (2014). A Review of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Women and Girls. The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders, 16(3). https://doi.org/10.4088/pcc.13r01596
Russell, J., Franklin, B., Piff, A., Allen, S., & Barkley , E. (2023). Number of ADHD Patients Rising, Especially Among Women. Epic Research.