Cited by 142Attention Deficit Hyperactivity DisorderChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentAutism Spectrum Disorder Research

Gender differences in ADHD: implications for psychosocial treatments

Rucklidge, Julia J·2008·Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics

Abstract

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has now been recognized to exist in both males and females, albeit the literature supports a higher prevalence in males. However, when girls are diagnosed with ADHD, they are more often diagnosed as predominantly inattentive than boys with ADHD. This paper provides a review of gender differences noted across the lifespan in terms of psychosocial functioning, cognitive abilities and psychiatric comorbidities. Males and females with ADHD are more similar than different, and generally symptoms of ADHD are not sex specific. Small gender differences have been found: adolescent girls with ADHD have lower self-efficacy and poorer coping strategies than adolescent boys with ADHD, but these differences tend to disappear by adulthood; rates of depression and anxiety may be higher (especially in adolescence) while physical aggression and other externalizing behaviors may be lower in girls and women with ADHD, although not all studies support these findings (e.g., non-referred samples show similar rates of coexisting psychiatric disorders between boys and girls with ADHD). However, many studies suffer from small sample sizes, referral biases, differences in diagnostic procedures and possible rater influences. Psychosocial treatments are reviewed and discussed with reference to the reported gender differences in functioning as well as the global deficits noted in all samples. Although the data available so far suggest that psychosocial treatments are likely to be equally effective in males and females, this conclusion is based more on the small number of gender differences noted in overall functioning and less on empirical research on treatment by sex effects and the moderating role of sex, an effect only investigated by the Multi-modal Treatment Study of ADHD group, to date. Future research should include equal representation of both sexes in samples such that treatment analyses by gender can be routinely conducted.

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Crossref · 10.1586/14737175.8.4.643

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Authors
Rucklidge, J. J.
Affiliations
University of Canterbury (NZ)
Corresponding author
Rucklidge, Julia J
Venue
Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics
Published
2008-04
Volume
8
Issue
4
Pages
643-655
ISSN
  • 1473-7175 (ISSN-L)
  • 1744-8360
OpenAlex
W2134468457
Cited by
142
References
97
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 4
FWCI
1.03
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Keywords
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, gender differences, psychosocial interventions, adolescent girls, self-efficacy, coping strategies, depression, anxiety, externalizing problems, psychiatric comorbidity
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Child, Humans, Sex Factors, Social Support

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