Gender Differences in ADHD: A Cross-sectional Hospital based Study

Abstract

Background: Previous literature on attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) shows gender differences in the manifestation of its symptoms and the diagnosis is more prevalent in boys compared to girls, who continue to remain underdiagnosed. The aim of this study was to assess gender differences in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder subtypes, psychiatric co-morbidities, behavioural problems and gender differentiated parenting styles in a hospital-referred sample of children diagnosed with ADHD. Methods: A cross-sectional research design was used; twenty-five boys and twenty-five girls with ADHD between 6–17 years, were included in the study (n=40). Sample was collected by purposive sampling method. The assessments included socio-demographic details, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder test (ADHDT), parenting style questionnaire (PSQ), mini-international neuropsychiatric interview for children and adolescents (MINI KID), and the child behavior checklist (CBCL). Potential subjects were excluded if their parents were not available for the study, or if they were adopted. Subjects were also excluded if they had any sensorimotor handicaps (paralysis, deafness) or a history of sub-normal intelligence. Results: The analysis indicated similarities in a hospital-referred population, ADHD boys and girls did not differ on ADHD subtypes. No significant gender differences for psychiatric comorbidities were found. Girls presented with separation anxiety disorder. Gender differentiated parenting of boys and girls with ADHD were minimal. Only specific aspects of parenting were related to behavioural problems among children with ADHD. Conclusion: We did not find gender-specific symptoms in children with ADHD in a hospital referred sample. The study implicates the need to include an extensive community-based population, examining whether these similarities in symptoms among boys and girls are a result of referral bias.