For decades, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was seen as a condition affecting hyperactive boys in classrooms. It’s only recently that a broader understanding has emerged, one that includes inattentive types, masking behaviors, and the unique ways ADHD presents in girls, women, and older adults.
This delayed recognition has left countless people undiagnosed for most of their lives. In fact, ADHD is one of the most underdiagnosed and underrecognized conditions in older adults, particularly in women over 50.
The Numbers Behind Late Diagnosis
The exact prevalence of ADHD in older adults is still being uncovered. Some studies estimate that 2.6% to 4.2% of adults over 50 meet the criteria for ADHD, yet many of them have never been diagnosed. Research from the Netherlands suggests that the prevalence of ADHD in adults over 60 is around 2.8% which is not far off from rates in younger adults.
In the U.S., ADHD diagnoses among adults rose by 123% between 2007 and 2016, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. While this includes adults of all ages, there’s growing recognition that many of these are people who spent decades misunderstood or misdiagnosed.
Women in particular often fall through the cracks. Because girls are more likely to have inattentive symptoms and to mask or internalize their struggles, their ADHD often goes unnoticed. When these same women reach their 50s or 60s (often after raising children, navigating careers, or enduring burnout) something shifts. Hormonal changes, a quieter household, or even their own children being diagnosed can finally bring clarity.
Why It’s So Often Missed
For older adults, the signs of ADHD are easily mistaken for stress, aging, or even early dementia. Forgetfulness, distractibility, and mental fatigue can all be chalked up to “getting older” unless a practitioner knows what to look for. Many seniors were also raised in an era when mental health diagnoses carried heavy stigma, so even those who suspected something felt pressure to “just cope.”
In addition, ADHD symptoms often change with age. Hyperactivity may evolve into restlessness or anxiety, and the ability to structure life with routines can mask the underlying difficulties for years. When retirement or illness disrupts those routines, the symptoms may become harder to ignore.
A Diagnosis That Brings Freedom
For many seniors, a diagnosis later in life doesn’t feel like a label, it feels like a revelation. It reframes decades of self-blame, opens the door to support and treatment, and helps people finally understand how their brain works.
Late diagnosis can lead to better management of coexisting conditions like depression, anxiety, and executive dysfunction. It can also improve relationships, communication, and self-compassion, no matter what age you are.
It’s never too late to understand yourself better. ADHD doesn’t disappear with age, and neither does the chance to build a life that fits.
2025 – jj thompson
Prefer listening instead?
🎧 Listen to the audio version on YouTube
LIFE on the HALF SHELL 