ADHD in Girls

ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in girls is often misdiagnosed, potentially leading to mental health issues later in adulthood.  Girls with ADHD often present the condition differently than boys, which can lead to potentially missing the diagnosis.

“Almost every year in the [report card] comments, regardless of the subject, it would say Anna needs to focus more, she has trouble paying attention.” - Anna, 17-year-old high school student in Toronto with ADHD 

 

According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, boys are three to four times more likely to be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder than girls.

Increasingly doctors and researchers who study the condition believe those numbers can mean girls are being underdiagnosed with ADHD or misdiagnosed altogether, because ADHD can look so very different in girls than it does in boys.  What’s more important, is that mental health experts say misdiagnosing or missing an appropriate diagnosis of ADHD in girls can lead to further mental health issues in adulthood.

Listen to an episode of CBC’s The Current discuss this issue by clicking here.