Is it Different for Women? Gender Differences in Romantic Relationship Functioning for Young Adults with ADHD
Although research has begun to acknowledge the role of ADHD in social dysfunction, gender differences do not tend to receive sufficient attention. Research increasingly suggests that women present with an altered set of ADHD symptoms, increased mental health concerns, and report greater impairment in many domains, including their romantic relationships. It has been suggested that ADHD symptoms are uniquely problematic for women because ADHD-related behaviors (e.g., disorganization, impulsivity) are incongruent with expectations for female behaviour (i.e., to be tidy, polite, and social).
Our Focus
- to investigate how gender differences in ADHD symptoms impact relationship functioning;
- analyze the roles of stress and anxiety in this association; and
- test whether conflict with gender expectations contributes to interpersonal difficulties for young women with ADHD.
Methods
- 171 undergraduate students (36 males and 135 females), aged 18-25 years
- Online self-report survey assessing: ADHD symptomatology, anxiety, stress, gendered attributes, and relationship distress (i.e., insecure attachment style, intimate partner violence).
Results
More ADHD symptoms were correlated with more stress and anxiety, and less relationship efficacy* in both males and females.
In women only, ADHD symptoms were also linked with attachment-related anxiety** and 
avoidance***
Stress helped explain the link between ADHD symptoms, relationship efficacy, & attachment anxiety and avoidance, so vulnerability to stress could be an important dimension of interpersonal difficulty for women with ADHD.
Females’ ADHD symptoms were additionally linked with increased perpetration and victimization of intimate partner violence, but stress did not help explain these links.
Contrary to expectations, more ADHD symptoms was correlated with less masculinity and was unrelated to femininity.
Nonetheless, the rest of our results suggest that there is a highly complex association between gender and relationship distress for individuals with ADHD, lending support to the importance of tailoring information and interventions to the separate needs of men and women.
*This refers to perceived ability to successfully navigate and maintain healthy relationships; someone with low relationship efficacy may struggle to communicate effectively, set boundaries, resolve conflicts, or trust others, for example.
**Attachment-related anxiety is characterized by a fear of abandonment and a tendency to seek constant reassurance from partners.
***Attachment-related avoidance is characterized by a fear of intimacy, emotional distance, and a tendency to prioritize independence over closeness in relationships.
See Rachel’s poster presented at the 2023 JCURA fair!
References
- Wymbs, B. T., Canu, W. H., Sacchetti, G. M., & Ranson, L. M. (2021). Adult ADHD and
romantic relationships: What we know and what we can do to help. Journal of Marital
and Family Therapy, 47(3), 664-681. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12475 - Ohan, J. L., & Johnston, C. (2005). Gender appropriateness of symptom criteria for
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional-defiant disorder, and conduct
disorder. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 35(4), 359–381.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-005-2694-y - Hinshaw, S. P., Nguyen, P. T., O’Grady, S. M., & Rosenthal, E. A. (2022). Annual
research review: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in girls and women:
Underrepresentation, longitudinal processes, and key directions. Journal of Child
Psychology and Psychiatry, 63(4), 484-496. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13480 - Mowlem, F., Agnew-Blais, J., Taylor, E., & Asherson, P. (2019). Do different factors
influence whether girls versus boys meet ADHD diagnostic criteria? Sex differences
among children with high ADHD symptoms. Psychiatry Research, 272, 765-773.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2018.12.128 - Fedele, D. A., Lefler, E. K., Hartung, C. M., & Canu, W. H. (2012). Sex Differences in
the Manifestation of ADHD in Emerging Adults. Journal of Attention Disorders, 16(2),
109-117. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054710374596 - Marchant, B. K., Reimherr, F. W., Wender, P. H., & Gift, T. E. (2015). Psychometric
properties of the Self-Report Wender-Reimherr Adult Attention Deficit Disorder
Scale. Annals of Clinical Psychiatry, 27(4), 267–282. - Fraley, R. C., Waller, N. G., & Brennan, K. A. (2000). An item-response theory analysis
of self-report measures of adult attachment. Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, 78, 350-365. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.78.2.350 - Riggio, H. R., Weiser, D., Valenzuela, A., Lui, P., Montes, R., & Heuer, J. (2011). Initial
validation of a measure of self-efficacy in romantic relationships. Personality and
Individual Differences, 51(5), 601-606. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2011.05.026 - Chapman, H., & Gillespie, S. M. (2019). The Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2): A
review of the properties, reliability, and validity of the CTS2 as a measure of partner
abuse in community and clinical samples. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 44, 27-35.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2018.10.006 - Kamarck, T., Mermelstein, R., & Cohen, S. (1983). A global measure of perceived
stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24(4), 385-396.
https://doi.org/10.2307/2136404 - Spitzer, R. L., Kroenke, K., Williams, J. B. W., & Lowe, B. (2006). A brief measure for
assessing generalized anxiety disorder. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166, 1092–1097.
https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092 - Spence, J. T., Helmreich, R. L., & Stapp, J. (1975). Ratings of self and peers on sex role
attributes and their relations to self-esteem and conceptions of masculinity and
femininity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 32, 29–39. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0076857