Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and gender differences

Few studies investigate gender differences concerning Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (Hinshaw, 2002). Further, studies that examine self-report ratings of ADHD in females are lacking. Self-reports are crucial to identifying ADHD in females who have been found to have more internalizing symptoms of ADHD (Quinn, 2005). Current models suggest that executive function, rather than attention, is the core deficit of ADHD and that it may serve as a neurobehavioral domain that differentiates individuals with ADHD based on subtype and gender (Wodka et al., 2008). This study examined gender differences on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning- Adult Version (BRIEF-A) between fifty two undergraduate college students who self-reported to have ADHD. Analysis of variance (One way ANOVA) were conducted to determine significant differences between male and female self report ratings on the BRIEF-A. Results indicated that there were no significant differences between males and females on the BRIEF-A. These results were similar to previous literature which indicates that the presentation of ADHD in females is more similar than different from the presentation of ADHD in males (Rucklidge, 2008)