An item-level systematic review of the presentation of ADHD in females

Williams, Tamara; Horstmann, Louise; Kayani, Laiba; Lim, Annabelle Xiao Hui; Russell, Abigail; Ford, Tamsin; John, Ann; Sayal, Kapil; Thapar, Anita; Langley, Kate; Martin, Joanna

Abstract

Previous studies examining sex differences in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have primarily examined total or subscale scores. This systematic review aimed to examine which symptoms contribute to the female presentation of ADHD at an item-level. Six research literature databases were searched for studies comparing ADHD symptoms and their impact at an item-level in females with ADHD compared with: 1) males with ADHD and 2) females without ADHD. Thirteen studies were included. In childhood, females were more likely to display the symptoms ‘fails to sustain attention in tasks’ and ‘often easily distracted’, whereas males were more likely to display the symptoms ‘often fidgets’, ‘difficulty remaining seated when required’, ‘runs/climbs in situations when inappropriate’, ‘always on the go’, ‘often noisy in playing’, ‘difficulty waiting turn’, ‘often blurts out answers’ and ‘often interrupts others’. In adulthood, females were more likely to endorse the symptoms ‘easily distracted’, ‘difficulty organising tasks’, ‘blurts out answers’ and ‘talks excessively’, as well as to report mind wandering and adverse home impacts. Females with ADHD differ in their symptom profile to males with ADHD, highlighting the need for future research to identify and characterise symptoms typical of female ADHD.

Citation

Williams, T., Horstmann, L., Kayani, L., Lim, A. X. H., Russell, A., Ford, T., John, A., Sayal, K., Thapar, A., Langley, K., & Martin, J. (2025). An item-level systematic review of the presentation of ADHD in females. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 171, Article 106064. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106064

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 10, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Feb 19, 2025
• Publication Date: 2025-04
• Deposit Date: Feb 13, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 20, 2026
• Journal: Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
• Print ISSN: 0149-7634
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-7528
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 171
• Article Number: 106064
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106064
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/45311484
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763425000648