additudemag.com
31.05.2023 / 13:41
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Study: Women with Undiagnosed ADHD Suffer Poor Self-Esteem, Mental Health
May 30, 2023Growing up with undiagnosed ADHD negatively impacts women’s self-esteem, mental health, well-being, and relationships, while diagnosis and treatment for ADHD increase feelings of self-acceptance and self-worth, according to new research published in the Journal of Attention Disorders.1Women with undiagnosed ADHD are most likely to experience impairment in the areas of social-emotional well-being, relationships, and life control, according to the research — the first of its kind to examine how under-diagnosis impacts the mental, emotional, and physical health of women.Studies have consistently shown that females are underdiagnosed with ADHD in childhood2, 3,4; to better understand adult women’s experiences living with undiagnosed ADHD and receiving a late diagnosis, researchers conducted a systematic review of three databases that revealed the following themes.Undiagnosed ADHD can profoundly impact self-esteem and self-worth. Findings indicated that girls with undiagnosed ADHD often endured childhood misunderstanding, self-blame, and rejection.“Low self-esteem might result from difficulties endured growing up with an undiagnosed disorder that neither they nor those around them understood,” researchers wrote.
