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This page is an AI-assisted Turkish summary of the study presented at the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry. The study belongs to the presenting authors; please refer to the original source when citing it.

SO456

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder across the female hormonal life cycle: a scoping review of symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment from puberty to menopause

ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER ACROSS THE FEMALE HORMONAL LIFESPAN: A SCOPING REVIEW OF SYMPTOMS, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT FROM PUBERTY TO MENOPAUSE

ADHD symptoms consistently worsen during periods of declining estrogen, yet menopause and hormonal contraception remain seriously understudied.

The study aims to map the evidence on the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in women across hormonal life stages; because estrogen regulates dopaminergic tone, hormonal transitions were hypothesized to alter symptoms and treatment response. A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines; PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL were searched from inception through 2026, combining ADHD terms with terms related to the menstrual cycle, ovarian hormones, contraception, pregnancy and the postpartum period, and menopause. The search yielded 12,331 records, of which 10,530 were screened after duplicates were removed; studies examining prenatal exposure and child outcomes were excluded, and the evidence was mapped across five hormonal stages. The distribution of evidence was markedly uneven: during low-estrogen periods (the late luteal phase, the postpartum period, and perimenopause), ADHD symptoms and low mood worsen, reduced response to stimulants is reported, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is substantially more common in women with ADHD. A search focused on the least-studied stages identified approximately 15 studies addressing perimenopause and menopause and fewer than 5 studies directly addressing hormonal contraception in women with ADHD. Moreover, much of the literature appearing under these topics examines ADHD risk in women's children rather than the women themselves, while evidence on treatment during menopause is derived largely from stimulant studies in women without an ADHD diagnosis. The findings highlight the need for hormone-informed, life-stage-specific clinical guidance and prospective studies focused on women; in clinical practice, asking about menstrual cycle phase, contraception, and menopausal status is recommended when ADHD symptom control fluctuates.

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