Gender differences in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: misconceptions and their impact on the diagnosis of AD/HD in females

Abstract

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is a chronic heterogeneous disorder of unknown etiology that effects children, adolescents, and adults. The disorder is considered to be 2-9 times more prevalent in boys than in girls, however less is known about the syndrome in girls because most studies of AD/HD focus primarily or exclusively on boys. The AD/HD literature was reviewed. The author hypothesized that generalizations are made about the disorder's manifestations in girls based on studies conducted solely or primarily on boys, and that these misconceptions influence who is referred for AD/HD evaluations.