June 19, 2000
Release No. 00-30
American Psychiatric Association, 1400 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20005
Richard Ottinger
202-682-6119
[email protected]
Fax: 202-682-6255
Study Finds Girls With ADHD Less Trouble than Boys
Washington, DC -- Because Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is more common among boys than girls, some have questioned the validity of diagnosing ADHD in girls. Now, a new study published in the July issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry shows that like ADHD in boys, ADHD in girls runs in families. This finding provides more evidence suggesting that ADHD is a valid diagnosis in girls.
Although the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School study is consistent with the idea that genetics play a role in ADHD, it concluded that the sex difference in the prevalence of ADHD may be due to some yet unknown risk factor in the environment.
"Like relatives of ADHD boys, relatives of ADHD girls are also at risk for anxiety and mood disorders," said the lead author Stephen V. Faraone. "But unlike the relatives in the boys' families, relatives of ADHD girls did not show an increased risk of conduct disorder, which is consistent with the major clinical difference between ADHD boys and girls."
Faraone suggested the lower rates of conduct disorder might explain why girls are less likely to be referred for treatment than boys. "It may be that because girls do not show the antisocial, disruptive behaviors of conduct disorder, they are less trouble to parents and teachers and therefore less likely to be referred for treatment" Faraone said. "Girls may be more likely to show attention span problems."
["Family Study of Girls With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder," by Stephen V. Faraone, et. al., p. 1077]
This article is available on the American Psychiatric Association's web site's Newsstand section at www.psych.org.
The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society, founded in 1844, whose 40,000 physician members specialize in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.
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