ADHD Diagnosis Occurs Later in Female Patients, Those With Inattentive Symptoms

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is diagnosed at older ages in female patients and is more often accompanied by depression and anxiety, according to study findings published in the Journal of Attention Disorders.

“Results suggest a more complex ADHD presentation in females, potentially causing late diagnosis and delayed treatment,” wrote corresponding author Uzma Siddiqui, MD, of Janssen Research and Development, Titusville, New Jersey, and study coauthors.

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The study focused on differences in the timing of ADHD diagnosis and treatment with factors that included patient sex, ADHD subtype, and comorbid depression and anxiety. For the investigation, researchers analyzed 4 health databases of patients with ADHD. 

Compared with male patients, female patients at the time of ADHD diagnosis were older. Female patients also had higher rates of depression and anxiety diagnoses, as well as antidepressant and anxiolytic drug treatment, both before and after ADHD diagnosis, according to the study.

Results also showed later ADHD diagnoses among patients with predominantly inattentive symptoms compared with patients with primarily hyperactive impulsive symptoms. Furthermore, patients with mostly inattentive symptoms were more likely to have comorbid mood disorders and treatment than those with mostly hyperactive impulsive presentations.  

Reference

Siddiqui U, Conover MM, Voss EA, Kern DM, Litvak M, Antunes J. Sex differences in diagnosis and treatment timing of comorbid depression/anxiety and disease subtypes in patients with ADHD: a database study. J Atten Disord. Published online May 16, 2024. doi:10.1177/10870547241251738