ADHD looks different in women and poses unique health risks
Research indicates that ADHD in women often presents differently than in men, leading to frequent misdiagnoses of anxiety or depression. Experts emphasize that these symptoms are often overlooked, resulting in delayed treatment.
Why it matters
Improving the understanding of gender-based differences in ADHD diagnosis is essential for providing equitable and effective mental healthcare.
Nicole Xu for NPR School used to be pretty easy for Kate Jarvis when she was a little girl, back in the 1980s. She was a straight-A student, creative, and so organized that she'd even prep her toothbrush with toothpaste each night before school. She says her mother used to call her "bright-eyed and bushy tailed."
Life Kit: Health 4 myths about women's health Then puberty hit, and everything started to fall apart. She found it harder to focus in school, and her grades slipped. "It really hit my self-esteem badly. I felt pretty awful about myself," she says.
In high school, she was diagnosed with anxiety and depression. She struggled to fit in. She says it stung when teachers would write comments like, "Kate has so much potential, if only she'd apply herself."
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