Researchers ran an online survey of 600 adults with ADHD. All were assigned female at birth, and most identified as women. Each reported a clinical ADHD diagnosis and scored in the ADHD range on a symptom checklist. They were aged 18 to 67, and most lived in Australia or New Zealand. It was a cross-sectional study, a one-time snapshot, and people looked back on their own symptoms.
Most people recalled their ADHD symptoms getting worse after giving birth. Almost everyone who answered about menopause recalled worsening, with 97.5% saying so. Trouble paying attention was the symptom most often said to get worse at that stage. Among premenopausal people not using hormonal therapy, 88.6% reported their symptoms changing across the menstrual cycle. Worsening was most often reported in the luteal phase, whether or not people took ADHD medication.
Current symptom scores were much the same across the premenopause, perimenopause and postmenopause groups. One subscore, called hyperverbal, was higher in perimenopause than in premenopause. Depression, anxiety and stress scores did not differ between the groups.
The authors call the study exploratory. It relied on self-report, and some people recalled puberty from at least 25 years back. Diagnoses were not confirmed by a clinical interview. An online survey about hormones may have drawn people whose symptoms worsened, which could tilt the results. Over a third of people hit the top score for inattention, which may have hidden differences.
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The numbers Stats and what the terms mean
The statistics behind the plain-language claims above.
- Osianlis, 2026: share who recalled their ADHD symptoms worsening after giving birth, 70.4%.
- Osianlis, 2026: share who recalled their ADHD symptoms worsening during menopause, 97.5% (the paper's Discussion gives 97.6%).
- Osianlis, 2026: share who recalled their ADHD symptoms worsening during puberty, 58%.
- Osianlis, 2026: among those reporting worse symptoms at menopause, share naming inattention, 91.7%.
- Osianlis, 2026: share of premenopausal people not on hormonal therapy reporting symptom changes across the menstrual cycle, 88.6%.
- Osianlis, 2026: average total symptom score in premenopause, perimenopause and postmenopause, 13.90, 13.83 and 13.69, p 0.19, OR 0.93 [0.82,1.04].
- Osianlis, 2026: average hyperverbal score in the same three groups, 2.79, 2.82 and 2.80, p 0.03, OR 0.74 [0.55,0.97].
- Osianlis, 2026: depression, anxiety and stress scores across the groups, p 0.60, p 0.63 and p 0.41. What the terms mean:
- P-value A number from a statistical test that shows how unusual a result would be if there were really no effect, and it depends on the study's own assumptions being right. Here it compares scores across the three menopause groups.
- OR (odds ratio) A number that compares the odds of an outcome between groups, where 1 means no difference. The figures in square brackets give the range reported around it.
Source: Osianlis E, Thomas E, Li Q, et al.. ADHD in females: Survey findings on symptoms across hormonal life stages. Journal of Psychiatric Research (2026). doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.11.035