ADHD in Girls and Women | UC Davis MIND Institute

1. Traditionally, ADHD was considered more likely to occur in males, we now know that ADHD is also common in girls and women.
2. Girls with ADHD frequently have fewer hyperactive and impulsive symptoms, and thus, evaluators may not consider ADHD as a diagnosis.
3. Females are typically evaluated and diagnosed later than their male peers.

1. Understanding Girls with ADHD by Kathleen Nadeau and Ellen Littman
2. Understanding Women with AD/HD by Kathleen Nadeau and Patricia Quinn
3. Help for Women with ADHD by Joan Wilder
4. Women with ADHD by Sari Solden
5. The Queen of Distraction by Terry Matlen and Sari Solden
6. Survival Tips for Women with ADHD by Terry Matlen

ADDitude Magazine Articles for Women with ADHD
CHADD Website for Women
Kaleidoscope Society for and by Women with ADHD-Online community for women with ADHD with the goal to empower women with ADHD

1. Experiences of employed women with attention deficit hyperactive disorder: A phenomenological study

• Women with ADHD were interviewed about their experiences in the workplace.
• Most described interactions with their workplace as confusing, overwhelming, and chaotic. They perceived their ADHD as a significant obstacle to success in employment but also saw advantages. Three interview themes are explored here: challenges in coping with job demands and the workplace, including whether to mention the disability; personal coping strategies; and useful accommodations.

2. ADHD: a women’s issue

• Article looking at aspects of women with ADHD and gender bias in the field of ADHD.
• Findings about women with ADHD: “Women with ADHD were also more likely to report a history of depression and anxiety. They had also been in psychological treatment more often and had received more prescriptions for psychotropic medications than had women without ADHD.”

3. ADHD and Female Specific Concerns: A Review of the Literature and Clinical Implications

• Scientific article in the Journal of Attention Disorders from 2012 discussing ADHD information specific to women and the importance of doing research on women with ADHD.

4. A review of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in women and girls: uncovering this hidden diagnosis

• Scientific article written for primary care doctors in the Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders from 2014 discussing some of the differences between females and males with ADHD and the importance of proper evaluation and diagnosis for females.