Gender-Related Clinical Characteristics in Children and Adolescents with ADHD
Source : https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/11/2/385
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most frequently diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder in school-age children, and it is usually associated with a significant impairment in global functioning. Traditionally, boys with ADHD are more likely to be referred for clinical assessments due to a higher prevalence of externalizing symptoms. However, as regards gender-related differential clinical characteristics between boys and girls with ADHD, further investigation is warranted in light of conflicting results found in currently available literature.
In conclusion, girls showed more severe ADHD features and lower IQ in clinically referred settings, while boys showed more internalizing problems and obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
• Source: Journal of Clinical Medicine
• Conclusions/Relevance: “In conclusion, our study provided evidence that girls showed more severe ADHD features and lower IQ in a clinically referred setting, while boys showed more prominent internalizing problems and obsessive-compulsive symptoms.”
• In the current retrospective observational study involving 715 Italian children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD from 2018 to 2020 at a single center, researchers assessed clinical characteristics.
• “Our results are important for clinicians, to consider evaluating and treating young children with ADHD. Indeed, girls with ADHD who are clinically referred for evaluation may display significantly severe presentations, particularly inattention, in which pharmacological treatment with methylphenidate is often warranted. On the other hand, internalizing symptoms should not be overlooked in boys with ADHD, as they could be specifically targeted by cognitive–behavioral treatment along with ADHD symptoms,” wrote the authors.
• Limitations of the current study include non-assessment of characteristics in the general population who were not referred to clinic. In the clinic, ADHD appeared to be overrepresented by girls. This phenomenon could lead to selection bias. Another limitation is that information on ADHD from parents was not available. According to the researchers, ADHD is rarely diagnosed among adults or when the parents were children themselves.