“women with adhd are often ‘under the radar’ and they tend to be underdiagnosed and undertreated. health care professionals need to be aware of this very vulnerable group.”
underdiagnosed and undertreated
for michelle allan, a master of journalism candidate researching women’s experiences with adhd, this finding is not surprising.
“as someone who [has] adhd, as someone who spoke to a lot of women who have had a really hard time finding treatment or managing symptoms of adhd, i’m honestly not surprised that this is a problem,” says allan. “a lot of people who struggle with adhd develop comorbid psychological problems like depression and anxiety. so, i don’t really feel surprised, but i am sad. this problem is so pervasive.”
a previous review of adhd research in women and girls suggested that symptoms of adhd in females trend towards inattentiveness versus hyperactivity, which may be missed. the review also found that adhd in woman correlates with rates of anxiety and depression. often, the anxiety and depression are caught, but the contributing adhd is not diagnosed.
“the hyperactive kind of adhd, that’s easy to spot. it’s the kid who bounces off the wall, won’t sit still, can’t focus on their homework,” says allan. “but people don’t understand that adhd does have the inattentive subtype, where it can just be someone who daydreams, someone who has a hard time focusing.”
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