Welchen Einfluss hat das Geschlecht auf das Inanspruchnahmeverhalten bei adulter ADHS im Rahmen einer Spezialambulanz?

Zusammenfassung

Anliegen: Angesichts der steigenden Nachfrage nach diagnostischer Abklärung und Behandlung wurde das Inanspruchnahmeverhalten von erwachsenen ADHS-Patienten auf mögliche Geschlechtsunterschiede untersucht.

Methoden: Daten von insgesamt 776 Patienten einer ADHS-Spezialambulanz wurden ausgewertet.

Ergebnisse/Schlussfolgerungen: Frauen mit ADHS nehmen unter Berücksichtigung der höheren Prävalenzrate für adulte ADHS bei Männern im Vergleich zu Frauen (m:w; 2 – 3:1) überproportional häufig Behandlungsangebote wahr (m 54 %; w 46 %). Bis auf stärker ausgeprägte Probleme der Emotionsregulation fanden sich keine grundlegenden Geschlechtsunterschiede bezüglich Altersstruktur, ADHS-Subtypen, Symptomausprägung und Leidensdruck.

Abstract

Objective: There is only scarce knowledge of gender differences in adult ADHD. Thus, we studied a large population of adults referred to a specialized ambulance for adult ADHD for possible gender differences regarding age, ADHD core and associated psychopathology, severity of symptoms and subjective burden from the disorder.

Methods: We analyzed data from 776 adult patients, who had been referred to a specialized ambulance for ADHD. 275 male and 236 female patients were diagnosed with ADHD. Standardized self-rating and expert-rating instruments of the Homburg ADHD Scales for adults (HASE) were used for diagnosis and assessment.

Results: Male and female patients did not differ significantly regarding their prevalence of admittance, age at diagnosis of ADHD, ADHD subtype according to DSM-IV, symptom severity and subjective burden from the disorder.

Conclusions: More female than male patients as could be expected from epidemiological data were referred to the ambulance suggesting that males with ADHD are less disposed for psychiatric support. No major differences regarding clinical aspects of ADHD have to be considered between male and female patients, except a higher prevalence of symptoms of emotional dysregulation, which are more prominent in female patients.

Schlüsselwörter

adulte AHDS - Inanspruchnahmeverhalten - Geschlechtsunterschiede

Keywords

adult ADHD - health care utilization - gender differences

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