“Spacey.” “Forgetful.” “Lazy.”
Generations of girls have grown up stuck with these hurtful labels while struggling to follow along in class, complete homework on time, or finish books and movies. Many don’t understand their behavior might be beyond their control, leading to years of frustration and stress.
Despite being one of the most common pediatric behavioral health conditions, affecting around 6 million young people, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is frequently missed in girls and female adolescents.
“Girls and female teens who have ADHD can go under the radar for too long,” said Cesar Ochoa-Lubinoff, MD, director of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s.
But the tides are finally starting to shift, thanks to viral social media posts educating young people and families on ADHD and a growing medical understanding of the condition’s wide range of presentations. If the uptick in awareness can be translated into care, girls could stand to gain the most.
ADHD Can Look Different in Girls
While people across genders can have any type of ADHD, hyperactivity is five times more common among boys and male teens. Girls and female adolescents are more prone to inattentiveness, which doesn’t include the classic ADHD hallmarks of loud interruptions, fidgeting or hyperactivity.
The inattentive form of ADHD causes attention and executive-function challenges that affect patients’ ability to listen, organize, study, manage time, and keep track of assignments and deadlines. Parents might be bewildered to notice their otherwise competent daughter being easily distracted and having a hard time with simple tasks.
Many girls with ADHD work harder or study more to make up for lapses in attention and planning. This “masking” of and compensating for their ADHD symptoms often leads to a delayed diagnosis when compared with boys.
Ochoa-Lubinoff also cautioned against ruling out ADHD among girls and female teens who can focus for hours when reading, drawing or engaging in other activities they love or when pulling an all-nighter for a midterm.
ADHD involves problems in regulating attention, he said. “When they’re motivated, they don’t just focus—they hyperfocus to the point that they tune out everything around them. But focusing on activities that are perceived as hard or boring is like pulling teeth for them.”
It’s Been Studied More in Boys
“There’s a gender bias in the research and general thinking,” Ochoa-Lubinoff said.
Many girls with ADHD work harder or study more to make up for lapses in attention and planning. This “masking” of and compensating for their ADHD symptoms often leads to a delayed diagnosis when compared with boys.
Girls who are trying to compensate for ADHD often get overwhelmed, but people around them may not notice. Ochoa-Lubinoff noted that anxiety could be the first indicator of ADHD.
Untreated Attention Problems Can Stifle Girls’ Potential
Depending on how severe a young person’s symptoms are and how rigorous their school is, academic problems such as falling grades, procrastination or missed assignments can be another warning sign of inattentive ADHD.
In turn, many blame themselves or start to doubt their intelligence—beliefs that can last well into adulthood. The damage can hold them back academically, emotionally, and—in the long term—in their motivation, planning, careers and finances.
Some individuals with learning or thinking differences are also gifted. These individuals are referred to as twice-exceptional or 2e. Interested in learning more? Check out our podcast on twice-exceptional girls.
Untreated ADHD can also strain communication and social relationships, leaving girls feeling isolated and less accepted by, or different from, their classmates.
By the teen years, low confidence makes them more susceptible to mental health conditions and risky behaviors such as alcohol and drug use.
ADHD Isn’t a Moral Failing—It’s Real and Treatable
Despite stigma suggesting that the diagnosis is made-up or an excuse for poor choices, ADHD is hardwired, Ochoa-Lubinoff explained, and frequently runs in families. People with the condition have low levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the areas of the brain that regulate attention, activity and impulsivity.
“It’s really important that parents and professionals stay on top of children’s behavioral health, because we can make a huge difference for these girls,” Ochoa-Lubinoff said.
Excerpted from “Why ADHD Goes Undetected in Girls” from Cedars-Sinai. Read the full post in the Cedars-Sinai blog.
Source: Cedars-Sinai | Why ADHD Goes Undetected in Girls, https://www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/why-adhd-goes-undetected-in-girls.html | © 2024 Cedars-Sinai. Retrieved December 2024.
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