Piece of Mind: Mental Health & Psychiatry · Piece of Mind: Mental Health & Psychiatry

Episode 9: ADHD in girls and women

·22 min·2 clips

Ellie discovered her ADHD through TikTok, challenging stereotypes about who gets diagnosed.

This episode focuses on ADHD diagnosis and experiences in girls, women, and non-binary young people. Host Catherine Hopkins from the National Centre for Mental Health speaks with researcher Dr. Joanna Martin and participant Ellie. Dr. Martin leads a Cardiff University ADHD project funded by the Welsh Government, while Ellie shares their personal experience of receiving an adult ADHD diagnosis. Dr. Martin explains ADHD encompasses combined, inattentive, and hyperactive-impulsive subtypes, affecting roughly 1 in 20 young people. Clinical studies show a diagnostic ratio of about seven or eight boys for every girl, though population surveys suggest a narrower gap of three or four to one. In adults, the diagnosed gender gap shrinks further to about two men for every woman, indicating a delayed recognition pattern. Ellie received a combined-type ADHD diagnosis at age 22, near the end of their university degree. They first considered ADHD through content on social media platforms like TikTok, followed by personal research using online checklists. Ellie's preconceived notion of ADHD was limited to hyperactive, disruptive boys, which didn't align with their more inattentive or internally hyperactive symptoms. Despite feeling different and using significant effort for average grades, Ellie received no school support as they weren't a visible "problem student." They describe pre-diagnosis life as isolating, leading to self-blame and co-occurring depression and anxiety. Ellie's sister, age 26, also recently received an ADHD diagnosis. Following their own diagnosis, Ellie's family noticed a positive change, including fewer distressed phone calls. Ellie has explored ADHD-specific therapy and coaching but faces a medication shortage delaying treatment access. They find the most valuable support in connecting with others through women's support circles and online communities. Dr. Martin's research interest stems from observing the lack of girls in ADHD study samples during her PhD on ADHD-autism genetics. ADHD has a heritability over 70%, and genetic factors appear similar across genders, pointing Dr. Martin toward social and diagnostic explanations. Her current project has three aims: comparing health records of those diagnosed in childhood versus later life, investigating reasons for diagnostic delay, and creating a more gender-inclusive ADHD assessment tool. Recruitment for the study's young adult cohort filled so quickly it closed within two days. The research deliberately includes non-binary and transgender participants, acknowledging the limitations of binary gender data in most existing studies. Dr. Martin hopes the project will identify early signs of ADHD in primary school-aged girls and understand the consequences of a delayed diagnosis. The tone is conversational, educational, and supportive, blending personal narrative with research explanation. This episode would greatly interest women and non-binary individuals questioning a potential late ADHD diagnosis, educators, and mental health professionals. Listeners seeking a purely clinical or debate-driven discussion on ADHD might find it less suited to their interests.

As heard by us

A calm, grounded look at how ADHD is missed, named, and lived with.

The episode gives a calm, practical look at why ADHD is still missed in girls, women, and non-binary young people, then moves into what support can look like after diagnosis.

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Why you'd press play

For a clear, humane look at ADHD in girls, young women, and non-binary young people.

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