Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Gender: Why are girls less diagnosed than boys?

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, more commonly known as ADD or ADHD, has become much more common recently. As of 1994 the DSM-IV stated that about 3%-5% of American school aged children have this disorder. While it is quite a few children, what I find to be even more interesting are the male-to-female ratios within the disorder. They range from 4:1 to 9:1. What I've looked into finding out is why there is such a gender difference. I wanted to …

…ascertained from pediatric and psychiatric referral sources. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 38, 996-972. Greene, R., et al. (2001). Social impairment in girls with ADHD: Patterns, gender comparisons, and correlates. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 40, 704-715. American Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th edition. Washington, DC (2001). Girls with ADHD at greater risk for psychiatric problems. The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter, 17, 6.