Knowledge of ADHD in women at this time is extremely limited as few studies have been conducted on this population.Women have only recently begun to be diagnosed and treated for ADHD, and today, most of what we know about this population is based on the clinical experience of mental health professionals who have specialized in treating women.
Impact of ADHD in Women
Females with ADHD are often overlooked when they are young girls the reasons for which remain unclear, and are not diagnosed until they are adults. Frequently, a woman comes to recognize her own ADHD after one of her children has received a diagnosis. As she learns more about ADHD, she begins to see many similar patterns in herself.
Some women seek treatment for ADHD because their lives are out of control their finances may be in chaos; their paperwork and record-keeping are often poorly managed; they may struggle unsuccessfully to keep up with the demands of their jobs; and they may feel even less able to keep up with the daily tasks of meals, laundry, and life management. Other women are more successful in hiding their ADHD, struggling valiantly to keep up with increasingly difficult demands by working into the night and spending their free time trying to “get organized.” But whether a woman’s life is clearly in chaos or whether she is able to hide her struggles, she often describes herself as feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.
While research in women continues to lag behind that in adult males with ADHD, many clinicians are finding significant concerns and co-existing conditions in women with ADHD. Compulsive overeating, alcohol abuse, and chronic sleep deprivation may be present in women with ADHD.
Women with ADHD often experience dysphoria (unpleasant mood), major depression and anxiety disorders, with rates of depressive and anxiety disorders similar to those in men with ADHD10. However, women with ADHD appear to experience more psychological distress and have lower self-image than men with ADHD11,12.
Compared to women without ADHD, women diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood are more likely to have depressive symptoms, are more stressed and anxious, have more external locus of control (tendency to attribute success and difficulties to external factors such as chance), have lower self-esteem, and are engaged more in coping strategies that are emotion-oriented (use self-protective measures to reduce stress) than task-oriented (take action to solve problems)2. Studies show that ADHD in a family member causes stress for the entire family13. However, stress levels may be higher for women than men because they bear more responsibility for home and children. In addition, recent research suggests that husbands of women with ADHD are less tolerant of their spouse’s ADHD patterns than wives of men with ADHD14. Chronic stress takes its toll on women with ADHD, affecting them both physically and psychologically. Women who suffer chronic stress like that associated with ADHD are more at risk for diseases related to chronic stress such as fibromyalgia15.
Thus, it is becoming increasingly clear that the lack of appropriate identification and treatment of ADHD in women is a significant public health concern.
ADHD Resources 