Why women are being diagnosed with ADHD more frequently

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - When someone mentions ADHD, you might picture an energetic boy who has trouble focusing in class; however, more and more women are being diagnosed with ADHD.

If you’re a woman with ADHD, it’s likely you weren’t diagnosed as a child.

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Rebecca Woolsey at Archway Mental Health Services said in school, a lot of girls with this disorder fly under the radar. Their symptoms can look different from boys, and a lot of girls become good at “masking” their disorder.

“In males, they tend to be a little bit more hyperactive, whereas the girls aren’t as hyperactive, but a lot of times they’re daydreaming a lot, but they aren’t going to be noticed because they’re really not causing problems,” Woolsey said.

Now, there’s an influx of women being diagnosed.

BSC Student Accessibility and Peer Mentor Coordinator Mandi Eberle said there’s been an increase of female students with ADHD registering at the Student Accessibility Office.

Eberle said in the fall of 2023, 13 males and 17 females registered at the Accessibility office with ADHD. That increased to 14 males and 21 females in the spring of 2024.

“The culture has kind of changed around disability a lot. It used to be a little more stigmatized, and now, people are understanding there’s a great number of our population who have a disability,” Eberle said.

Woolsey said it’s not all bad news for women, though. She said a lot of women who weren’t diagnosed as children have adapted and learned coping skills that serve them well in their day-to-day lives.

Eberle said 24 percent of their female students with ADHD reported being diagnosed within the previous 5 years. That does not include the students who didn’t report the date of their diagnosis.

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