ADHD is still widely thought of as something that affects hyperactive young boys. That picture leaves a lot of people out. ADHD is just as real in girls and women, but it often looks different, and as a result many women don’t find out they have ADHD until well into adulthood. This article looks at how ADHD tends to show up in women, why diagnosis comes so late, and what the UK figures tell us.
For a general overview, the NHS has a clear page on ADHD in adults.
Signs of ADHD in women
Every woman with ADHD is different, but some patterns come up again and again.
Inattention
Attention that drifts during routine tasks, forgotten appointments and deadlines, and keys or phones that are always going missing. These traits are easy to mistake for carelessness, when in fact they reflect differences in how attention and working memory work.
Inner restlessness
Hyperactivity in women is often less visible. Rather than being unable to sit still, many women describe constant racing thoughts or a sense of being unable to switch off.
Emotional intensity
Many women with ADHD feel emotions strongly and quickly. Over time, years of feeling different without knowing why can also lead to anxiety and low self-esteem.
Impulsivity
Impulsivity can show up as impulse spending, interrupting, or making big decisions quickly, rather than the obvious risk-taking people often associate with ADHD.
Organisation and time
Keeping on top of time, plans and household admin can take a huge amount of effort. Many women build elaborate systems to cope, which can hide how much work is going on underneath.
We cover more of the less obvious signs in our article on signs of ADHD in women you might not know about.
The three presentations of ADHD
Clinicians usually describe three presentations of ADHD, which apply to people of any gender:
- Predominantly inattentive: mainly differences in sustaining attention and following through on tasks. Because it is less disruptive in a classroom, it is often noticed later.
- Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive: mainly restlessness and impulsivity. This is the presentation most associated with boys.
- Combined: a mix of both. The NHS notes that most people with ADHD have traits of both types.
Why women are diagnosed late
Several things combine to mean ADHD in girls and women is missed or diagnosed late.
Social expectations
Girls are often expected to be organised, quiet and well behaved. Many learn to meet those expectations at great personal cost, and their ADHD traits go unnoticed by teachers and parents.
Masking
Many women develop strategies to hide their differences, such as perfectionism, over-preparing or working much longer hours than colleagues. Masking can work for years, but it is exhausting. Our article on high-masking neurodivergent employees explains what this can look like at work.
Misdiagnosis
Women with ADHD are often diagnosed with anxiety or depression first. Those conditions can be real too, but treating them alone can leave the underlying ADHD unrecognised.
Less visible presentation
Because the inattentive presentation is less disruptive, it is less likely to prompt anyone to suggest an assessment.
What the UK figures show
The ADHD Foundation’s Women with ADHD call to action, published in 2021, sets out the scale of the gap. It estimates that between 50% and 75% of women with ADHD in the UK are undiagnosed, and says that three times as many boys as girls are diagnosed and supported under the age of 18. According to the report, girls who are diagnosed tend to be diagnosed by around 17, on average nine years later than boys, whose diagnoses peak at around age 8.
The same report links late diagnosis to a higher risk of underachievement in education and mental health problems in girls. In adulthood, it highlights a greater risk of postpartum depression and unplanned pregnancy, and notes that hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle and menopause can affect concentration and emotional regulation for women with ADHD.
Adult ADHD diagnoses have risen in recent years. We look at what is behind that rise in our article on the surge in ADHD diagnoses.
Why this matters at work
A late diagnosis often comes after years of working twice as hard to keep up, and for many women it finally explains experiences they had struggled to make sense of. Employers have a part to play. A workplace that offers flexibility, clear communication and easy access to adjustments helps women with ADHD do their best work whether or not they have a diagnosis. ADHD also brings real strengths, which we explore in our article on the strengths of ADHD, and our guide to ADHD in the workplace covers the practical side.
How Enna can help
Women who discover their ADHD in adulthood often benefit from support designed around how they work. Our workplace coaching helps employees build strategies that suit them, and our workplace needs assessments give employers clear recommendations for adjustments.
For HR teams and managers who want to recognise and support ADHD more confidently, our Neurodiversity Deep Dive workshop is a good place to start. Book a call with Enna to talk about your organisation’s needs.
