ADHD in Women

Written by: Shervonn Tan (23-E6)

Designed by: Ng Le Kang (23-I2)

Did you know that ADHD is three times more likely to be diagnosed in males than in females? After finding out about such seemingly incredulous data, my interest was definitely piqued. How could this happen? Isn’t ADHD the same condition for both genders? Could gender bias play a role in underdiagnosis of females? Many questions whirled through my mind, and to appease my curiosity, I decided to delve deeper into the topic to find out why.

ADHD, commonly referred to as Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects millions of people across the globe. Yet, the diagnosis rates for men and women are vastly different. Traditionally, ADHD was thought of as a disorder that mainly affected men. Yet, recent studies conducted by experts in the field are debunking this age-old myth— ADHD could be just as prevalent in girls, but the way the symptoms present themselves in girls lead to underdiagnosis in women. 

Common symptoms of ADHD in women include disorganisation, inattention and trouble functioning. Contrastingly, symptoms in males manifest in hyperactivity, constant interruptions and even aggressive behaviour. Hence, symptoms in women as compared to those in males are more subtle, making it harder to spot and eventually diagnose. For example, in the classroom, males with  ADHD are often more raucous and disruptive during lessons. Due to the more noticeable and attention-grabbing signs, males could thus receive a quicker diagnosis once their symptoms are pointed out by those around them.On the other hand, a female with ADHD could be quietly day-dreaming or scribbling due to their inattention, and these less noticeable symptoms could be much harder to recognise, possibly leading to under diagnosis .

Due to the lack of awareness about the underlying symptoms of ADHD in women, underdiagnosis is a pervasive issue with detrimental consequences felt by its victims. Women who go undiagnosed until adulthood reported higher rates of depression, general anxiety disorder and lower self esteem overall. This lowers the quality of their lives drastically as ADHD when not treated or medicated, hinders their ability to carry out executive functions normally. This causes them to question themselves and leads to feelings of incompetence as they are unable to find the root cause until late in life. 

Hence, underdiagnosis of ADHD in women leads to drastic consequences that women will be left to deal with on their own, suffering silently. This is a prevalent issue that I believe should be brought to light to prevent further harm to its victims.