Gender Differences in the Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD Children in Israel

Background: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in children and adolescents. The diagnosis and treatment of girls ADHD is usually deficient. Studies show that (compared to boys) girls are diagnosed at an older age, receive less medications, and suffer more from co-morbidities such as depression and anxiety.

This study maps the differences in the diagnosis and treatment between boys and girls with ADHD.

Methods: This is a retrospective study including 697 patients aged 5–18 years, diagnosed with ADHD according to DSM-5 criteria.

Results: 697 patients were diagnosed with ADHD of which 463 boys and 234 girls, representing a 2: 1 ratio. The average age for the onset of symptoms in boys is 6.5 years old, while in girls it is 7 years. The average age for medical diagnosis in boys is 9 years while in girls it is 10 years. The time from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis is longer in girls. All differences are statistically significant. The most common type of ADHD among all children is type 1 – mainly inattentive (59%), with most girls being diagnosed with type 1 (72%), while most boys were diagnosed with type 1 (53%) and type 3 – combined type (41%).

Conclusions: ADHD is a more common in girls than was commonly thought. However, they are diagnosed at an older age and the diagnosis time is longer compared to boys. These gaps in diagnosis and treatment have far-reaching long-term implications for the morbidity and mortality of girls diagnosed with ADHD.