ADHD IN WOMEN IS ON THE RISE

Were diagnoses missed in childhood, or is this a result of overdiagnosis” of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder?

- Nadia Sawalha

Over the years, more has been written about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in women and girls. From Nadia Sawalha opening up about her experience to Zoe Ball and Sheridan Smith talking about their diagnoses, high-profile individuals have helped raise awareness of the condition that has long been associated with men and boys.

“ADHD is a neurodiverse or neurodevelopmental lifelong condition where the brain of the individual has developed differently to most ‘typical’ people,” explains GP Dr Aarthi Sinha from Church Crescent Medical (churchcrescent.co.uk). “This causes various symptoms affecting their behaviour, from restlessness to trouble concentrating, which can differ in adults and children.”

It is estimated that 3 to 4% of adults in the UK have ADHD, with the male-to-female ratio being around 3:1. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that women are less likely to have ADHD – they may be going undiagnosed.

Demand for an ADHD diagnosis is high, and there has been a 51% increase in prescriptions for ADHD medication, but Dr Sinha is keen to stress that the recent rise doesn’t mean that there is an “overdiagnosis” of the condition.