Late-Diagnosed Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Women: The Need for Holistic Treatment

Abstract

Recent research on adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has established that, on average, women receive a diagnosis four years later than their male counterparts (Skoglund et al., 2023). Women who receive a late diagnosis are faced with delayed access to treatment and are therefore at risk for worsening symptomology, comorbid mental health diagnoses, and poor self-concept (Holthe & Langvik, 2017). Each of these risk factors places additional demand on the currently accepted ADHD treatment options for adults, leading to poorer treatment efficacy and satisfaction among this population (Huynh et al., 2024). Holistic health is a treatment approach that views patients as a whole person, rather than a set of symptoms, which can be leveraged to fit the individual needs of late-diagnosed women with ADHD (American Psychiatric Association, 2018). Building on ideas of holistic health, the purpose of this white paper is to offer practical, targeted solutions to address the female ADHD treatment gap. Solutions include disseminating an adapted version of the ADHD STAR as the standard of care for late-diagnosed women, employing liaisons in primary care and emergency care settings, and leveraging the hybrid research model (Adamou et al., 2016; Boll et al., 2021; Jäderholm et al., 2023; Landes et al., 2019). Each of these solutions aims to improve treatment and mental health outcomes for late-diagnosed women, supporting the work of practitioners and research interventionists