ADD A to Z: Your Guide to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Download Your Copy Today

Considering that as many as 5% of all school age children have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with the majority being boys, that is where the majority of attention was focused for years. However, today we are seeing larger numbers of teen girls with ADHD, which has prompted researchers and doctors to begin new studies. Teen girls are going through many changes, both physically and mentally. The teenage years are tough, often resulting in the girl trying to discover herself, her values, and goals, and trying to find out where she fits in. As you can imagine, when you add in boys and gaps with parents, the teenage years become even more challenging.

Now, when you look at teen girls with ADHD, you have just compounded the existing problems, which is why it is so crucial that parents, teachers, and doctors intervene. Remember, while the symptoms of ADHD can be devastating, especially for a teenager, there are a number of excellent options to bring sanity to that person’s life. Today, doctors are more educated about ADHD, meaning they have a much better understanding of ADHD, the symptoms, and the various types of options for treatment and/or medication. Obviously, for teen girls with ADHD, this is good but the parent must be proactive in making sure their daughter is getting the right type of help and in a timely manner.

Through these new studies about teen girls with ADHD, we know that there appears to be a much higher risk for mental illness by the time the girl reaches 17. This Harvard Medical School study is alarming. As you can imagine, early diagnosis and treatment are essential. The sooner your daughter can be diagnosed and provided with the best treatment option, the better chance you have to head off full-blown mental illness. With this particular study, 140 teen girls with ADHD were followed, ranging in age from 12 to 17. Then, they were compared with another group of 122 girls without ADHD. The study showed that when the girls reached age 17, the group of ADHD had higher levels of clinical depression and greater problem with anxiety disorders.

The study went on to show that 10 boys to every one girl are treated for ADHD. Although the reason is unknown, experts believe that girls are not as disruptive in early life as boys are, although much more research needs to be performed. Some of the things going on currently in relation to teen girls and ADHD are that genes linked to ADHD are being examined. Since genetics accounts for as high as 76% of people developing ADHD, this particular research is extremely important. In addition, studies small-brain scans are being done to determine if the brains of teens and smaller children with ADHD look different from those without the disorder.

Researchers understand that for teen girls with ADHD, along with boys, younger children, and adults, the main problem is that behavior is changed. Sadly, many teenagers with ADHD are severely impaired. While some teenagers get through life relatively easy, many struggles in the classroom, find it impossible to study or concentrate, are not capable of developing normal, healthy relationships, and battle horrible cases of depression. With the numbers of teenagers with ADHD on the rise, it is imperative that more and more studies be performed to determine why this disorder occurs and how best to reach resolution so the child can go on to live a fully productive life.