The DOI matches its Crossref record; 216 of the 216 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Females with ADHD: An expert consensus statement taking a lifespan approach providing guidance for the identification and treatment of attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder in girls and women
Open accessAbstract
Background: There is evidence to suggest that the broad discrepancy in the ratio of males to females with diagnosed ADHD is due, at least in part, to lack of recognition and/or referral bias in females. Studies suggest that females with ADHD present with differences in their profile of symptoms, comorbidity and associated functioning compared with males. This consensus aims to provide a better understanding of females with ADHD in order to improve recognition and referral. Comprehensive assessment and appropriate treatment is hoped to enhance longer-term clinical outcomes and patient wellbeing for females with ADHD. Methods: The United Kingdom ADHD Partnership hosted a meeting of experts to discuss symptom presentation, triggers for referral, assessment, treatment and multi-agency liaison for females with ADHD across the lifespan. Results: A consensus was reached offering practical guidance to support medical and mental health practitioners working with females with ADHD. The potential challenges of working with this patient group were identified, as well as specific barriers that may hinder recognition. These included symptomatic differences, gender biases, comorbidities and the compensatory strategies that may mask or overshadow underlying symptoms of ADHD. Furthermore, we determined the broader needs of these patients and considered how multi-agency liaison may provide the support to meet them. Conclusions: This practical approach based upon expert consensus will inform effective identification, treatment and support of girls and women with ADHD. It is important to move away from the prevalent perspective that ADHD is a behavioural disorder and attend to the more subtle and/or internalised presentation that is common in females. It is essential to adopt a lifespan model of care to support the complex transitions experienced by females that occur in parallel to change in clinical presentation and social circumstances. Treatment with pharmacological and psychological interventions is expected to have a positive impact leading to increased productivity, decreased resource utilization and most importantly, improved long-term outcomes for girls and women.
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“Hormonal fluctuations seem to impact ADHD symptomatology. Available evidence has confirmed this [23,88].”
From A Female-Specific Treatment Group for ADHD—Description of the Programme and Qualitative Analysis of First Experiences (2024) · cites this paper as [23]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
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“We developed this female-specific treatment option in response to the dire need expressed by many [1,17,19,23,24,25,26,28,41,55,85], including patients.”
From A Female-Specific Treatment Group for ADHD—Description of the Programme and Qualitative Analysis of First Experiences (2024) · cites this paper as [23]
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“However, women are more often misdiagnosed [23] and diagnosed later [85] than men with ADHD.”
From A Female-Specific Treatment Group for ADHD—Description of the Programme and Qualitative Analysis of First Experiences (2024) · cites this paper as [23]
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“Like others in the field [23], we recognise the importance of a lifespan approach for women with ADHD.”
From A Female-Specific Treatment Group for ADHD—Description of the Programme and Qualitative Analysis of First Experiences (2024) · cites this paper as [23]
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“addressing ADHD symptoms can itself mitigate secondary depression [141]”
From ADHD in Adulthood: Clinical Presentation, Comorbidities, and Treatment Perspectives (2025) · cites this paper as [141]
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Bölte, S., Neufeld, J., Marschik, P. B., Williams, Z. J., Gallagher, L., & Lai, M.-C. (2023) · Nature Reviews Neurology · doi:10.1038/s41582-023-00774-6 · Cited by 249
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Attoe, D. E., & Climie, E. A. (2023) · Journal of Attention Disorders · doi:10.1177/10870547231161533 · Cited by 173
“Women with ADHD are also at a higher risk of engaging in risky sexual behavior, unplanned pregnancy, and are more likely to be coerced into having sex than women without ADHD (Young et al., 2020).”
BackgroundInfluentialAlcohol use disorders and ADHD.
Luderer, M., Ramos Quiroga, J. A., Faraone, S. V., Zhang-James, Y., & Reif, A. (2021) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.07.010 · Cited by 102
Skoglund, C., Sundström Poromaa, I., Leksell, D., Ekholm Selling, K., Cars, T., Giacobini, M., Young, S., & Kopp Kallner, H. (2024) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/jcpp.13920 · Cited by 77
Self-citationSedgwick-Müller, J. A., Müller-Sedgwick, U., Adamou, M., Catani, M., Champ, R., Gudjónsson, G., Hank, D., Pitts, M., Young, S., & Asherson, P. (2022) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-022-03898-z · Cited by 70
Self-citationChallenges of Treating ADHD with Comorbid Substance Use Disorder: Considerations for the Clinician
Barbuti, M., Maiello, M., Spera, V., Pallucchini, A., Brancati, G., Maremmani, A., Perugi, G., & Maremmani, I. (2023) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm12093096 · Cited by 47
“On the other hand, the clinical presentation of females more often leads to a missed diagnosis because of their tendency to present internalizing manifestations, such as mood and anxiety disorders, and their better social adjustment [6].”
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de Jong, M., Wynchank, D. S. M. R., van Andel, E., Beekman, A. T. F., & Kooij, J. J. S. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1306194 · Cited by 39
Platania, N. M., Starreveld, D. E. J., Wynchank, D., Beekman, A. T. F., & Kooij, S. (2025) · Frontiers in Global Women's Health · doi:10.3389/fgwh.2025.1549028 · Cited by 27
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Cognitive Profiling of Children and Adolescents with ADHD Using the WISC-IV
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Metadata
- Authors
- Young, S., Adamo, N., Ásgeirsdóttir, B. B., Branney, P., Beckett, M., Colley, W., Cubbin, S., Deeley, Q., Farrag, E., Gudjonsson, G., Hill, P., Hollingdale, J., Kilic, O., Lloyd, T., Mason, P., Paliokosta, E., Perecherla, S., Sedgwick, J., Skirrow, C., Tierney, K., van Rensburg, K., & Woodhouse, E.
- Affiliations
- Reykjavík University (IS)
- King's College London (GB)
- Manor Hospital (GB)
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- St Thomas' Hospital (GB)
- University of Bristol (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Young, Susan
- ORCID
- Venue
- BMC Psychiatry
- Published
- 2020-08-12
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 404-404
- ISSN
- 1471-244X (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7422602
- OpenAlex
- W3048800205
- Cited by
- 610
- References
- 216
- Citations by year
- 2026: 207 · 2025: 130 · 2024: 96 · 2023: 96 · 2022: 48 · 2021: 29 · 2020: 2
- FWCI
- 31.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- BMC Psychiatry (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Digital Collections portal (Koç University) (submittedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Opin vísindi (Opin vísindi) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Bristol Research (University of Bristol) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- UK ADHD Partnership (N/A)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
- Keywords
- sex differences in ADHD, referral bias, presenting symptoms, comorbidities, compensatory strategies, gender bias, lifespan care, ADHD medication, psychological intervention, care transitions
- MeSH terms
- Attention, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Female, United Kingdom, Humans, Longevity, Male, Consensus
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