What are the possible explanations for gender differences in the diagnosis of ADHD? Girls and boys ...
What are the possible explanations for gender differences in the diagnosis of ADHD? Girls and boys express symptoms of ADHD differently. Girls tend to display the 'inattentive' aspect of ADHD, while boys are more hyperactive and impulsive. "A common explanation for the observed sex differences in referral and diagnosis is that girls with ADHD are more likely to present with predominantly inattentive symptoms, rather than the more potentially disruptive hyperactive/impulsive symptoms, as well as greater levels of internalising symptoms such as anxiety and depression which might lead to alternative diagnoses" (Mowlem et al., 2018). Seeing your daughter be distracted consistently is much less disruptive than your son constantly bouncing around the room, and the latter might urge you to speak to their GP more than the former. A big factor in ADHD diagnoses in children is their parents, the people they usually spend most of their time with. "If sex-specific stereotypes of ADHD exist, then it is possible parents and teachers may not as readily recognise manifestations of ADHD in girls compared to boys" (Mowlem et al., 2018). Certain symptoms of ADHD are less disruptive and openly annoying or intrusive, and might not prompt a doctor's visit. Unfortunately, these more non-disruptive symptoms tend to manifest in girls over boys. Environment, of course, is a major factor in ADHD and how the symptoms present. "One possible explanation for the sharp sex discrepancy in ADHD prevalence is a putative “female protective effect” model. Under this model, females would be predicted to require greater exposure than males to genetic and environmental factors associated with ADHD in order to display sufficient ADHD behaviors to warrant a diagnosis, thus meaning that fewer females than males would be expected to be diagnosed with ADHD" (Taylor et al., 2016). This "female protective effect" model generally explains that women and girls would need to present more symptoms than a man or a boy would in order to obtain a proper ADHD diagnosis. Both internal and external factors contribute to these possible explanations as to why girls and boys are diagnosed differently. Mowlem, F., Agnew-Blais, J., Taylor, E., & Asherson, P. (2018). Do different factors influence whether girls versus boys meet ADHD diagnostic criteria? Sex differences among children with high ADHD symptoms. Psychiatry Research, 272, 765–773. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2018.12.128 Taylor, M. J., Lichtenstein, P., Larsson, H., Anckarsäter, H., Greven, C. U., & Ronald, A. (2016). Is there a female protective effect against Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder? Evidence from two representative twin samples. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 55(6), 504-512.e2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2016.04.004 When replying to your classmates' posts: Read your classmate's post and reply to no less than two of your classmates and a question. Your question should be one of the following three types: Clarification-based: This question helps the writer by asking your peer to clarify points that you think could be more fully explained. Evidence question - When a writer states something as fact rather than personal opinion, your peer's argument is stronger if they cite evidence that the fact is true. Facts can be evidenced, in approximate order of strongest evidence to weakest, (1) by citing trustworthy data, (2) by citing the opinions of experts, (3) by citing repeatable personal experience, or (4) by citing common opinion. This kind of question helps the writer by asking for evidence if the student states something as fact but doesn't cite evidence. Hypothetical question - This kind of question helps the writer by asking your peer to test their argument by applying it to a situation that you specify.
