Female ADHD and Hormones – The Perfect Storm

27


Event type Introductory and Update Session

Lotta Borg Skoglund
Hide
Recordings and slides are for delegates only

Female ADHD and Hormones – The Perfect Storm – Dr Lotta Borg Skoglund, leads a session that explores the underrepresented biological differences between sexes in ADHD research and clinical practice, despite a growing awareness of ADHD in girls and women. The session highlights how the historical male-centric lens on ADHD has led to delayed diagnosis and mismanagement in females, particularly during hormonally sensitive life phases.

This is sure to be a hugely popular session led by Dr Lotta Borg Skoglund, Associate Professor in Psychiatry at the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health at Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden, and at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm.

About the session

This presentation examines the interaction between hormonal fluctuations across the female lifespan and ADHD symptoms, as well as comorbid conditions such as anxiety, depression, and emotional dysregulation. It notes that estrogen and progesterone play vital roles in mood, cognition, and dopamine regulation, making women with ADHD especially sensitive to hormonal changes. For instance, ADHD symptoms often worsen premenstrually, and women with ADHD face a higher risk for PMDD, and adverse reactions to hormonal contraception.
Drawing from recent research, including findings from the GODDESS ADHD group, and lived experiences shared through the development of the self-care platform Letterlife, the session emphasizes the importance of personalized, hormone-informed care. This approach involves women tracking their symptoms across cycles to optimize medication, lifestyle, and self-management strategies.
By connecting clinical insights with research data, this lecture advocates for a new, gender-informed paradigm of ADHD care. The goal is to close knowledge gaps, reduce diagnostic delays, and improve both mental and physical health outcomes for women and girls with ADHD, regardless of formal diagnosis. The presentation concludes that understanding the interplay between hormones and neurodivergence is essential for equitable and effective care.

Learning objectives:

  • To understand the concept of female specific challenges of ADHD
  • To understand the influence of hormones on ADHD-symptoms across the female reproductive lifespan
  • To recognise and treat ADHD-symptoms in girls and women

Interactive overview

Use the interactive programme below to gain an overview of the topic, meet the speaker, test your knowledge, and a whole lot more!

About the speaker

Dr. Borg Skoglund is a senior consultant physician trained in general medicine and psychiatry. She is Associate Professor in Psychiatry at the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health at Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden, and at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm.

Dr Borg Skoglund’s scientific work targets the intersection of ADHD, comorbidity, gender discrepancies and hormonal factors. Together with gynecologist and associate professor Helena Kopp Kallner she leads the transprofessional research group GODDESS ADHD involving researchers from child, adolescent and adult psychiatry, gynecology, and social sciences, with the aim of improving mental health and reproductive outcomes among neurodivergent girls and women across the female lifespan.

Beyond her academic pursuits, Dr. Borg Skoglund is a co-founder and Medical Director of SMART Psykiatry, a specialized psychiatric outpatient healthcare provider for neurodevelopmental disorders across all age groups and Letterlife, a digital tool designed to support women with ADHD in managing their daily lives. Dr Borg Skoglund has authored seven popular science books on ADHD. Her book “ADHD From Girls to Women – Getting on the Radar” is published worldwide.