Why Is There a Gender Gap in Children Presenting for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Services?

Abstract

This study addressed why girls are less likely to be referred for mental health services for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than boys. Ninety-six parents of children with elevated ADHD symptoms and 140 elementary school teachers read vignettes about children with ADHD. Half of the participants read vignettes with boys' names, and half read the same vignettes but with girls' names. Participants then rated their likeliness to seek or recommend services for the child in each vignette. Parents and teachers were less likely to seek or recommend services for girls than boys with ADHD, but results did not support the hypothesis that this is because girls are less disruptive than boys. Rather, differences in service seeking were explained by the fact that parents and teachers believed that learning assistance is less effective for girls than boys with ADHD.

This research was supported by a grant from the School of Psychology at the University of Melbourne. We thank Charlotte Johnston for her help in reviewing the manuscript.

Notes

Note. ADHD = attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder; ODD = oppositional defiant disorder; CI = confidence interval.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jeneva L. Ohan

Jeneva L. Ohan is now at the University of Queensland.

Troy A. W. Visser

Troy A. W. Visser is now at the University of Queensland.