Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Women

Silva, Antônio Geraldo da; Malloy-Diniz, Leandro Fernandes; Garcia, Marina Saraiva; Rocha, Renan

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-29081-8_15

Cited by 7 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 17 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…They did not view these symptoms as needing further assessment. As such, delayed diagnosis may prevent women from accessing treatment options that could mitigate risk factors associated with ADHD (Da Silva et al, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…ADHD is a disorder prevalent in 5% to 10% of school aged children (APA, 2013). It persists into adulthood and affects both men and women (Da Silva et al, 2020), impacting 2% to 6% of the global population (Song et al, 2021).…”

Section: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Disordermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was once thought to be a male only disorder, leaving women and girls to suffer in silence (Nussbaum, 2012). In childhood, the ratio of boys to girls with ADHD is about 3:1 whereas in adulthood it is closer to 1:1, suggesting that women and girls are underdiagnosed in childhood (Da Silva et al, 2020). ADHD is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in childhood and can result in cognitive difficulties and functional impairments (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Miss. Diagnosis: A Systematic Review of ADHD in Adult Women

Attoe

Climie

2023

J Atten Disord

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective: The aim of this review was to explore the impact of living with undiagnosed ADHD and adult diagnosis on women. Method: A systematic literature search was completed using three databases. Eight articles were considered relevant based on strict inclusion criteria. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the results of the articles. Results: Four key themes emerged: Impacts on social-emotional wellbeing, Difficult relationships, Lack of control, and Self-acceptance after diagnosis. Conclusion: This knowledge can be used to advance the understanding of ADHD in adult women and the implications for late diagnosis in women.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Disordermentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Miss. Diagnosis: A Systematic Review of ADHD in Adult Women

Attoe

Climie

2023

J Atten Disord

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Women and ADHD. Research shows differences in how ADHD presents in males versus females and in childhood, girls often go underdiagnosed by a ratio of 3:1 (DaSilva et al, 2020). ADHD diagnostic criteria are also biased toward male symptoms (Mowlem et al, 2018), and research primarily uses male participants (Pievsky & McGrath, 2018).…”

Section: Adhd and Its Impactmentioning

confidence: 99%

Paying Attention: Female ADHD Students Learning in Graduate School

Devol,

Sun

2023

Adult Education Quarterly

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Adults with ADHD maintain some success in higher education but underperform their non-ADHD peers despite having normal intelligence. This study explored the essence of the lived experiences of female graduate students with ADHD navigating their academic journeys in graduate school. Using a phenomenological approach through the lens of Merleau-Ponty's concepts of world, body, others, and time, with open-ended questions via Zoom interviews, nine female graduate students with ADHD participated in the study. Three themes emerged: A little bit extra, I always felt I was going to fail, and they don’t understand. Findings revealed unknown struggles about what it's like to be a female graduate student with ADHD, including that graduate school overloads their ability to cope, causing emotional distress, educational impairment, poor life quality, and fears of seeking support and understanding for their holistic wellbeing. Implications illustrate for higher education how adult learners with ADHD can complete graduate education.

show abstract

“…ADHD often co-occurs with various conditions ( 3 ). The sex distribution in adulthood is close to 1:1, but girls and women with ADHD remain underdiagnosed and undertreated ( 4 , 5 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female-specific pharmacotherapy in ADHD: premenstrual adjustment of psychostimulant dosage

de Jong,

Wynchank,

van Andel

et al. 2023

Front. Psychiatry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ObjectiveAttention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental condition which is underdiagnosed and undertreated in women. For decades, the ADHD field has called for more insight into female-specific therapy. Preliminary findings postulate that changes in sex hormones during the menstrual cycle may influence the effectiveness of psychostimulant medication. Yet, pharmacotherapeutic interventions tailored to women with ADHD remain scarce. Previously, our group showed an increase in mood symptoms in the premenstrual week in women with ADHD. Premenstrual worsening of depressive and ADHD symptoms represent a treatment challenge. In our adult ADHD clinic, we noted several women describing exacerbation of their ADHD and depressive symptoms in the premenstrual week and/or insufficient effect of their established dosage of psychostimulant. We responded to the need expressed by these women by increasing their stimulant dosage in the premenstrual week, while monitoring the response and side effects.MethodsThis community case study of nine consecutive women being treated for ADHD and co-occurring conditions (including depression and premenstrual dysphoric disorder), reports our local experience of increasing the individually prescribed psychostimulant dosage during the premenstrual period. We methodically monitored the effect of this increased dosage on ADHD symptoms, mood and somatic symptoms for the following 6–24 months.ResultsWith premenstrual dose elevation, all nine women experienced improved ADHD and mood symptoms with minimal adverse events. Premenstrual inattention, irritability and energy levels improved, and now resembled the other non-premenstrual weeks more closely. All women decided to continue with the elevated premenstrual pharmacotherapy.DiscussionOur preliminary results demonstrate potential benefits of increasing premenstrual psychostimulant dosage in women with ADHD, experiencing premenstrual worsening of ADHD and mood symptoms. The results concur with previous findings of diminished response to amphetamines in the late luteal phase. Increased dosage may help combat premenstrual worsening of cognitive and emotional symptoms in women with ADHD, with significant clinical implications. Better management of premenstrual ADHD and mood symptoms in vulnerable women can improve treatment outcome and meet an unmet need. However, implementation should be individually explored. Further investigation of luteal phase psychostimulant dose adjustment is required for safe, optimal and individualised treatment for women with ADHD.

show abstract

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Women

Cited by 7 publications

References 17 publications

Miss. Diagnosis: A Systematic Review of ADHD in Adult Women

Miss. Diagnosis: A Systematic Review of ADHD in Adult Women

Paying Attention: Female ADHD Students Learning in Graduate School

Female-specific pharmacotherapy in ADHD: premenstrual adjustment of psychostimulant dosage

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About