ADHD in Females

David is a Consultant Psychiatrist with particular interest in Adult ADHD and a developing interest in Women’s Mental Health, fostered by current involvement in ADHD research at Monash University, and a sabbatical in 2021 with Professor Jayashri Kulkarni of the HER Research Centre.

Currently on extended leave, he was the Consultant or Acting Consultant on the Mental Health Access Team of the Top End Mental Health Service from 2013 to 2021. He is the Chair of the NT Branch Committee of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP), and a member of the RANZCP ADHD Network Committee amongst a number of ADHD related organisations. In these roles, he is a passionate advocate for improved mental health services in the NT, using ADHD as an example of the changes required.

In a past life, David was a High School Teacher, State Advisor and Chief Moderator in South Australia, and this informs his understanding of ADHD in Adults.

This presentation compares the presentation of ADHD in females with that in males, and explores some of the underlying reasons this condition is under-diagnosed in females at every age. It looks at some frequently seen co-occuring conditions including Autistim and Complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorder with Attachment Disorder, and the effect of hormonal cycles is touched on.