
Examining the Increasing Number of Adult Women With ADHD
Why are more and more adult women being diagnosed with ADHD? A presentation at the APNA Annual Conference shed light on the issue.
CONFERENCE REPORTER
“So many adult patients—women—come in and are being newly diagnosed with ADHD [attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder] for the first time,” Pamela Wall, PhD, PMHNP, FAANP, told attendees of the
Implicit bias was a top reason for missing the diagnosis earlier in women, Wall explained, as she conducted a mini-experiment with attendees. After asking attendees to visualize a child who is hyperactive, Wall surveyed the group to see what gender they saw; most of the audience pictured a boy.
In addition, she said what is known about
To help illustrate this point, Wall shared a case example of a 30-year-old woman who initially presented with depressed mood, anxiety, panic, racing thoughts, and sleep onset insomnia. The patient was very successful in school growing up and credits that partially to strict schedules and expectations by her parents as well as her swimming regimen. In later sessions, she admitted to a history of struggling with concentration and organization and said she was often forgetful. After seeing success at a community college, she decided to move way to finish her education. Unfortunately, she struggled and received failing grades, so she moved back home. The current concentration issues are causing problems at her work as well as with her marriage, and thus she sought help.
Wall said patients like this often respond well to pharmacological treatment, even to the point of addressing other comorbidities like anxiety and depression. It is not uncommon, she added, for patients to tell her, “I feel calm for the first time in my life,” after initiating ADHD treatment.
There are differences between men and women with adult ADHD, Wall added. For instance, females may have higher hyperactivity and impulsivity than males, but it might register instead as restlessness. In some cases, the “restlessness” in women gets confused with anxiety, Wall noted. In terms of
Both
The APNA 36th Annual Conference was held October 19 - 22, 2022, in Long Beach, California.
Newsletter
Receive trusted psychiatric news, expert analysis, and clinical insights — subscribe today to support your practice and your patients.