Adult Women with ADHD More Impaired than Men

New research has found that, unlike in childhood, as adults, women with ADHD seem to suffer from more adverse effects than men.

Researchers from the University of Utah, who were studying the effects of medication on adults with ADHD, have found that the disorder may have more severe symptoms in women than in men. This held especially true for emotional, rather than cognitive, symptoms.

In the study, women scored higher on measures of anxiety and depression. They also reported more problems with sleep and temper control, more mood variability, and were emotionally overreactive more often.

These symptoms may lead to misdiagnosis in women, and indicate that treatment of ADHD in adult women should focus on these affective symptoms to help raise their quality of life.