Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41804225›Full record

ArticleThe British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science2026

Antecedents and outcomes of a later attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis in females.

Joanna Martin, Olivier Y Rouquette, Kate Langley, Miriam Cooper, Kapil Sayal, Tamsin J Ford, Ann John, Anita Thapar

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Editorial Perspective: Overdiagnosis of ADHD? Here we go again.Child and adolescent mental health · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Joanna MartinCentre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, https://ror.org/03kk7td41Cardiff University, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8911-3479
Olivier Y RouquetteInstitute of Suicide Prevention and Mental Health, Swansea University, UK.
Kate LangleySchool of Psychology, Cardiff University, UK.
Miriam CooperWolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health, Cardiff University, UK.
Kapil SayalCentre for ADHD and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Across the Lifespan, Institute of Mental Health, Nottingham, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2050-4316
Tamsin J FordDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5295-4904
Ann JohnCentre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, https://ror.org/03kk7td41Cardiff University, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5657-6995
Anita ThaparCentre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, https://ror.org/03kk7td41Cardiff University, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFemales are less likely than males to be diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). When diagnosed, females are older than males.

aimsIn this study, we examined the childhood antecedents of later ADHD diagnosis and its impact on adolescent/emerging adult outcomes, with a focus on females.

methodIn this cohort study, we used data from a Welsh nation-wide electronic cohort of 13 593 individuals (

resultsAlthough females with earlier ADHD diagnosis showed more health and educational difficulties in childhood than those with later diagnosed ADHD (odds ratios ranged from 0.18 to 0.92), there was clear evidence of these difficulties in females with later diagnosed ADHD, compared with females without ADHD (odds ratios: 1.07-9.02). In adolescence/early adulthood, females with later diagnosed ADHD used more healthcare services and had worse mental health, educational and socioeconomic outcomes than females diagnosed earlier (odds ratios: 1.39-4.96) and those without ADHD (odds ratios: 1.54-23.98). Many of these outcomes were exacerbated in females compared with males.

conclusionsThe results demonstrate that later ADHD diagnosis is associated with significant negative outcomes by adolescence and disproportionately disadvantages females. Despite later diagnosis, there was clear evidence of childhood mental health and educational difficulties when compared with females without ADHD. Therefore, timely childhood ADHD diagnosis may help to mitigate later risks, especially for females.

Indexed as

Attention–deficit hyperactivity disorderchild and adolescent psychiatryelectronic health recordsmental health servicesneurodevelopmental disorders

Identifiers

PMID41804225
PMCPMC7618889

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.