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Gender differences in a sample of adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
J Biederman1, S V Faraone, T Spencer
1Pediatric Psychopharmacology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114.
Psychiatry Research
|July 1, 1994
Summary
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a valid adult disorder, particularly in women. Research confirms ADHD presents similarly in adult males and females, highlighting the need for better identification and treatment in females.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was historically viewed as a childhood condition.
- Recent research suggests ADHD is also a valid clinical entity in adults, yet its presentation in females requires further investigation.
- Discrepancies in sex ratios between pediatric and adult ADHD samples prompt questions about diagnostic validity in adults, especially women.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the clinical validity of ADHD in adult females.
- To determine if ADHD is expressed differently in adult males versus females.
- To compare clinical, cognitive, and functional characteristics of referred adult ADHD cases with non-ADHD controls.
Main Methods:
- Examined clinical, cognitive, and functional characteristics of 128 referred adult ADHD cases (both sexes).
- Utilized structured interviews to confirm childhood-onset ADHD diagnosis in all subjects.
- Compared ADHD adults (male and female) to non-ADHD adult control subjects.
Main Results:
- Adults with ADHD, both male and female, exhibited greater disturbance and impairment than control subjects.
- ADHD women showed higher rates of major depression, anxiety disorders, and conduct disorder compared to control females.
- ADHD women also presented with more school failure and cognitive impairment than control females.
Conclusions:
- Findings support the validity of adult ADHD diagnosis across both genders.
- Emphasizes the importance and viability of identifying ADHD in adult females.
- Underidentification and undertreatment of ADHD in females have significant mental health and educational implications, necessitating further research into female-specific clinical indicators.