ADHD in teenage girls

The number of girls aged 10 to 17 who receive an ADHD diagnosis is increasing rapidly, yet many are still overlooked or diagnosed too late. The purpose of this project is to understand how ADHD affects girls during adolescence and how they can be better identified and provided with adequate support.

Due to delayed or missed diagnoses, many girls do not receive important information about their condition or appropriate treatment during their formative teen years. Healthcare professionals also report that they lack knowledge and tools to address the specific challenges faced by girls with ADHD, particularly when additional mental or physical health problems are present.

Puberty can be a particularly difficult time, as hormonal changes may strongly affect daily functioning and quality of life for these girls.

This project aims to bridge the knowledge gap by examining how ADHD affects adolescent girls through five complementary studies focusing on mental health, lifestyle behaviors, and sexual development.

The researchers will use methodological approaches including qualitative interviews, app-based tracking of mental and sexual health and menstrual cycles in relation to ADHD behaviors, and large-scale register data analyses.

The overall goal is to better detect and support girls with ADHD so that treatment and guidance can be provided at the right time — strengthening well-being during a crucial period of development.