This was a systematic review of research on women who were diagnosed with ADHD as adults. The researchers started with 484 records and, after screening, kept eight peer-reviewed articles. All the articles were in English, published after 1997, and focused on women over age 18. The researchers read across these studies and grouped what the women described into four themes.
The themes were effects on social and emotional wellbeing, difficult relationships, a feeling of not being in control, and self-acceptance after getting the diagnosis. Some themes came up more often than others. Negative effects on social and emotional wellbeing showed up in every one of the eight papers. Trouble in family and romantic relationships was reported in seven of the eight papers. A sense of relief and self-acceptance after diagnosis was reported in six of the eight papers.
The review points to several limits. The included studies leaned on what women said about themselves in surveys and interviews, which can bring in bias and memory problems. The studies also had fairly small numbers of people, so the results may not carry over to all women. The authors note that research on this topic is still limited, so firm conclusions are not possible yet.
Source: Darby E. Attoe, Emma A. Climie. Miss. Diagnosis: A Systematic Review of ADHD in Adult Women. Journal of Attention Disorders (2023). doi:10.1177/10870547231161533