In a recent article on the Windsor Star website Professor Sharon Burey of the University of Windsor shares the results of a Danish study on mortality rates for people with ADHD. Her purpose is to draw attention to the danger posed to the 50 – 75 percent of girls with the disorder she believes are going undiagnosed. If she’s right about the non-diagnosis numbers (and some dispute them) then the Danish study’s conclusions paint a truly disturbing picture for thousands of Canadian women and girls. As the article points out:

The importance of an earlier diagnosis for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder especially for girls was made clear to Burey earlier this year at a Glasgow, Scotland conference when she heard about a Danish study that found ADHD was associated with higher premature mortality rates… Women with ADHD had a 2.85 times higher risk of death than women without ADHD and had almost double the risk of death of men with ADHD, the study found.

The results of the Danish study were a call to action for Burney who has long believed girls are being undiagnosed because ADHD manifests itself differently in females than it does in males. While the 75% figure she quotes remains controversial studies show there is little doubt that Burney is correct when she asserts that for women and girls, ADHD is a different experience than it is for men and boys.

So how was the diagnostic process allowed to veer so far off course when it came to serving the needs of females with ADHD? In a paper on the topic researcher Jane Adelizzi states her belief that:

… females with ADHD have been largely neglected by researchers because hyperactivity is usually missing in girls… But for advocates, the bottom line is this: Girls with undiagnosed ADHD will most likely carry their problems into adulthood, and left untreated, their lives often fall apart.

Getting an accurate diagnosis for every person with ADHD is crucial, not only to stem the tide of premature deaths among women with the disorder – a problem that deserves long overdue attention – but so that society as a whole can formulate effective responses to the problem in general. And the need is great, as pointed out in a recent posting on adhdawarenessweek.ca that highlighted the facts that:

• ADHD costs Canada $6 to $11 billion dollars a year
• People with ADHD often wind up in unskilled jobs due to lack of treatment
• The cost of ADHD has a direct effect on the skyrocketing cost of healthcare in general
• Having ADHD puts people at a greater risk of having run-ins with the justice system

The Disability Tax Credit: Bridging the Gap for Mothers With ADHD

While women and girls with ADHD wait for better diagnostic capabilities to come online many struggle with the day-to-day costs of their condition. Unemployment or underemployment means they often occupy the economic fringe of society even though they may be highly intelligent and desire to have fulfilling careers. Mothers with ADHD face an even more difficult situation. Often their marriages suffer and many come to rely heavily on the Disability Tax Credit to help them stay afloat financially.

The Disability Tax Credit was created to help women and men disabled by ADHD and other conditions meet the demands of their often exorbitant medical expenses. Mothers with ADHD especially find the Disability Tax Credit an invaluable tool in helping them keep their families afloat financially while the kids are in school and parenting costs are at their peak. Without it, many would face agonizing decisions that would send shockwaves through the lives of their children and have a cascading effect on future generations.

We’re Here to Help: Contact Disability Credit Canada Today

If you or a woman you know is struggling with ADHD call the benefits professionals at Disability Credit Canada and put us on the case. We’re one of the country’s foremost advocates for the disabled when it comes to securing their due under the Disability Tax Credit. We believe passionately in the right of all Canadians to live in dignity, free from the scourge of excessive healthcare related costs. You may be eligible for up to $40,000 in annual benefits, so don’t delay. Call us today on 1-855-765-4458.