ADHD symptoms in women are unique and require unique diagnostic criteria

Below is a personal essay reflecting the author's opinion.

May 5, 2024

Every ADHD expert we know believes that girls and women with ADHD are underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed.

In 1994, an ADHD expert conference was held at the conference. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) To suggest ways to better meet the needs of girls. This committee strongly recommended the creation of diagnostic criteria to better diagnose the disease. girl with ADHD. More than a generation later, this recommendation remains largely ignored, despite the clear and compelling need for such a change.

It is well documented that untreated ADHD in women can have dire consequences starting in adolescence. anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, unplanned pregnancy, subsequent academic failure, psychiatric hospitalization, and suicide. Women with ADHD are more likely to face divorce, be single parents raising difficult children with ADHD, experience domestic violence, and suffer from lack of income, which combine to create an intergenerational ADHD challenge. causing a destructive spiral.

[Read: Wanted — ADHD Research on Women & Girls]

Improved identification and treatment of women has a cascading positive effect, benefiting women by increasing self-esteem, improving employment, and building stronger parenting skills, which in turn benefits children. Probably.

Today is APSARD (American Society of Specialists in Attention Disorders and Related Disorders) We are making valuable efforts towards the initial development. US Adult ADHD Guidelines, we urge its leaders not to overlook the long-standing need to more accurately identify ADHD in women. We want to thank all women with ADHD, those who care about them, and those who provide their care. petition Developing gender-equal ADHD diagnostic criteria. Gender equity standards will allow women with ADHD to be better identified and receive the treatment they need.

Efforts to create more gender-equal ADHD standards are hampered by a “lack of research evidence” to support such changes. We are stuck in a never-ending cycle. There has been minimal investment in research on gender differences in ADHD, resulting in limited evidence-based knowledge regarding gender differences.

As APSARD is currently working to recommend new adult ADHD diagnostic guidelines, we urge consideration of the longstanding concern of developing guidelines suitable for accurately identifying women with ADHD. If APSARD leaders are progressive enough to take the necessary steps, this guideline process can significantly advance gender equality. Alternatively, if gender is ignored, guidelines could petrify historically male-biased approaches to description and diagnosis. ADHD.

[Read: ADHD Symptoms in Women Aren’t ‘Hidden.’ They Are Misinterpreted.]

We urge APSARD, as part of its adult ADHD guidelines, to acknowledge that current diagnostic approaches are not fully gender-equal and to propose more gender-equal criteria for further research. When such a recommendation is made by a reputable organization, it is more likely to receive research funding, including funding from. President Biden's Executive Order on Women's Healthwill be assigned to a study to study these proposed criteria.

We call on APSARD to take the first steps in this long-overdue process by identifying gender equality as a priority and proposing more gender-equal diagnostic criteria. Once this exciting first step is taken, standards can be tested and refined through the process of making them evidence-based. Please sign our petition and share it widely through your networks.

Petition to APSARD: Call for improved gender equity in adult ADHD diagnosis

We want attention: A call for more research on ADHD in women

Introduction: Top 10 research priorities

1. Gender differences in ADHD
2. Health implications for women with delayed ADHD diagnosis
3. How hormonal changes affect ADHD symptoms in women
4. How menopause and menopause affect ADHD symptoms, and vice versa.
5. Increased risk of PMDD and PPD in women with ADHD
6. Safety and effectiveness of ADHD medication use during pregnancy and breastfeeding
7. How adjusting ADHD medication during the monthly menstrual cycle can improve outcomes for women
8. Long-term and short-term effects of hormonal contraception and hormone replacement therapy in women with ADHD
9. How and why comorbid conditions such as anxiety, depression, and eating disorders uniquely impact women with ADHD.
10. Early indicators of self-harm, partner violence, and substance abuse in girls and women with ADHD

Michael Morse, MD, is director of psychiatric education and training. Chesapeake Center — ADHD, Learning and Behavioral Health Located in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Kathleen Nadeau is the founder and director of the Chesapeake Center.

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