ADHD in Women: Why It's Hard to Detect and How to Treat It | News Channel 3-12
Women are diagnosed with ADHD nearly five years later than men, leading to more severe symptoms, greater disability, and higher rates of depression and anxiety, researchers found.
- On October 13, 2025, researchers reported women with ADHD receive diagnoses about five years later than men despite symptoms starting at similar ages in a 900 adults clinical sample from a Barcelona specialised outpatient program.
- Experts point to clinician unawareness and hormonal factors, while girls and women with ADHD often show inattentive, less disruptive behaviour, making early signs easier to miss.
- The team analysed 900 adults in Barcelona using validated tools, with participants undergoing five specialist visits plus clinical interviews and rating scales to confirm diagnosis.
- Women with ADHD face worse clinical outcomes, including more severe symptoms and greater disability, along with higher rates of depression and anxiety at diagnosis.
- Presented at ECNP, Sylvia Amoretti and colleagues call for earlier screening and sex-sensitive diagnostic tools to address international delays, according to European Psychiatry.
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ADHD in women: Why it's hard to detect and how to treat it | News Channel 3-12
Mix Tape // Shutterstock Women have so much to think about these days, having to ping-pong from one item to the next across multiple to-do lists, that it can be challenging to think clearly and give full attention to anything. And while there’s no end to time-tracking apps and focus journals, what are you supposed to do if they have never really helped? If you’ve nervously asked yourself, “Do I have ADHD?” you’re in a very big club of women wh…
ADHD: Women are diagnosed five years later than men, despite symptoms appearing at the same age
Scientists have found that ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) in women is diagnosed approximately five years later than in men, despite symptoms appearing at the same age. Women with ADHD also suffer greater emotional and functional difficulties than men.
Women with ADHD are diagnosed later and experience more severe symptoms
A new study published in the journal European Psychiatry indicates that adult women with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) tend to experience more severe symptoms and greater impairment in daily life compared to men with the condition. The research also uncovered a significant delay in the diagnosis of ADHD for women, which may contribute to these more challenging outcomes. The investigation was prompted by growing recognition that…
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