ADHD News & Research

Study: Complex ADHD More Common in Women and Girls, Leading to Later Diagnoses

Women are more likely to have complex ADHD, including comorbidities like depression and anxiety, and inattentive symptoms, which may account for their later diagnoses, according to a new study.

By Nicole C. Kear Verified Updated on May 30, 2024
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May 30, 2024

Females are more likely than males to have complex presentations of ADHD, potentially leading to delayed diagnosis and treatment, according to new research published in the Journal of Attention Disorders. The study found that females with ADHD are more likely than males to have inattentive ADHD, are diagnosed at older ages, and have higher rates of anxiety and depression diagnoses both before and after their ADHD diagnoses. 1

The retrospective observational study was conducted using data from four U.S. health databases. The researchers sought to explore the relationship between sex as well as ADHD subtype and diagnosis timing. They also hoped to assess whether receiving an ADHD diagnosis had an impact on pre-existing diagnoses of depression and anxiety in women and girls, who receive treatment for these comorbidities at higher numbers.

Age of ADHD Diagnosis Rates by Sex and Subtype

The study revealed:

  • The average age of ADHD diagnosis by gender:
    • Females:16 to 29 years
    • Males: 11 to 23 years
  • Across both sexes, the average age of diagnosis by ADHD type:
  • Females were substantially more likely than males to be diagnosed with inattentive ADHD

How Mood Disorders Fit Into the Diagnostic Picture

  • Females were twice as likely as males to have depression or anxiety diagnoses and treatments in the year before their ADHD diagnosis.
  • Females were more likely than males to receive new diagnoses or treatments for depression or anxiety in the year following an ADHD diagnosis.
  • The number of females with pre-existing depression or anxiety diagnoses with symptoms that did not continue after their ADHD diagnosis was higher than the number of males. In these cases, ADHD may have been misdiagnosed as anxiety or depression.
  • Patients with inattentive ADHD were more likely to receive a prior diagnosis of depression or anxiety:
    • Inattentive ADHD: 13% to 18% (depression) and 17% to 26% (anxiety)
    • Hyperactive impulsive ADHD: 5% to 12% (depression) and 9% to 20% (anxiety)

Repercussions of Delayed Diagnosis

The study’s finding that females are diagnosed five years later than males, on average, together with other key data points lead researchers to conclude that diagnoses in females tend to occur “only once ADHD symptoms become more severe,” and underscores the importance of addressing this gap in health equity.

The consequences of undiagnosed ADHD are dire, especially for women.

“Women who live undiagnosed until adulthood experience significant negative outcomes in the areas of self-esteem, social interaction, and psychosocial wellbeing beginning in childhood and continuing into adulthood,” concluded the authors of a systematic review of research published in March 2023. “Women in these studies engaged in less task-oriented coping and more emotion-oriented coping and often turned to recreational drugs, alcohol, nicotine, and sex to self-medicate for symptoms of undiagnosed ADHD.” 2

A female ADDitude reader explains the lived experience of late diagnosis this way: “I have lived with the misleading belief that I was a loser, lazy, incompetent. What are the long-term impacts of these self-defeating beliefs?”

The Complicating Presence of Mood Disorders

The connection between ADHD and mood disorders, including depression, is well-established. According to a recent study in BMJ Mental Health: 3

  • People with ADHD are 9% more likely to have MDD
  • An MDD diagnosis increases the risk for ADHD by 76%

These findings are echoed in the responses to a recent ADDitude survey of 6,810 adults, which found that 72% reported having anxiety and 62% having reported depression.

In addition to the over-representation of mood disorders among individuals with ADHD, previous research has documented that women in general are twice as likely as men to suffer from MDD and General Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

While rates of mood disorders are unequivocally higher among women with ADHD than either men with ADHD or women without the condition, the new study lends credence to what many women have reported anecdotally: They are also more likely than men to have ADHD initially misdiagnosed as depression or anxiety.

“Because of stigma and thoughts related to gender role presentations, when females do present with ADHD symptoms, it can be thought that it’s more likely due to anxiety or depression, because those are presentations that people are used to seeing in females early on,” explained Dave Anderson, Ph.D., in the ADDitude webinar “ADHD Then and Now: How Our Understanding Has Evolved.” “So, people say, ‘She’s distracted because she’s anxious or sad,’ not because she has ADHD. That’s something that we’re actively trying to fight, even in clinician bias.”

The new study, and research like it, helps shed light on the unique toll exacted on women by ADHD. More investigation is desperately needed, explains Dawn K. Brown, M.D., in the ADDitude article, We Demand Attention! A Call for Greater Research on Women with ADHD.

“Further research regarding these topics is indeed crucial,” Brown explains. “By conducting in-depth investigations into the gender-specific nuances of ADHD presentation and impact, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and advocates can promote greater awareness, understanding, and tailored support for women with ADHD.”

Read on to learn about the Top 10 research priorities detailed in ADDitude’s groundbreaking, cross-platform initiative : We Demand Attention! A Call to Action for Greater Research on Women with ADHD.

We Demand Attention: A Call for Greater Research on ADHD in Women

Intro: Top 10 Research Priorities

  1. Sex Difference in ADHD
  2. The Health Consequences of Delayed ADHD Diagnoses on Women
  3. How Hormonal Changes Impact ADHD Symptoms in Women
  4. How Perimenopause and Menopause Impact ADHD Symptoms, and Vice Versa
  5. The Elevated Risk for PMDD and PPD Among Women with ADHD
  6. The Safety and Efficacy of ADHD Medication Use During Pregnancy and While Nursing
  7. How ADHD Medication Adjustments During the Monthly Menstrual Cycle Could Improve Outcomes for Women
  8. The Long-Term and Short-Term Implications of Hormonal Birth Control and Hormone-Replacement Therapy Use Among Women with ADHD
  9. How and Why Comorbid Conditions Like Anxiety, Depression, and Eating Disorders Uniquely Impact Women with ADHD
  10. Early Indicators of Self-Harm, Partner Violence, and Substance Abuse Among Girls and Women with ADHD

View Article Sources

1  Siddiqui, U., Conover, M. M., Voss, E. A., Kern, D. M., Litvak, M., & Antunes, J. (2024). Sex Differences in Diagnosis and Treatment Timing of Comorbid Depression/Anxiety and Disease Subtypes in Patients With ADHD: A Database Study. Journal of Attention Disorders, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547241251738

2  Attoe, D. E., & Climie, E. A. (2023). Miss. Diagnosis: A Systematic Review of ADHD in Adult Women. Journal of Attention Disorders, 27(7), 645-657. https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547231161533

3  Meisinger, C. & Freuer, D., (2023) Understanding the Causal Relationships of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder with Mental Disorders and Suicide Attempt: A Network Mendelian Randomisation Study. BMJ Mental Health. doi.org/10.1136/bmjment-2022-300642