For women living with ADHD, changes in concentration, organisation or emotional regulation can make previously manageable routines unexpectedly difficult. Research from Monash University’s HER Centre Australia gives women a reason to bring hormonal patterns into that conversation. Understanding when difficulties intensify may help identify the support, treatment reviews and everyday adjustments that would make life more manageable.
Published in the February 2026 issue of the Journal of Psychiatric Research, the study surveyed 600 female participants reporting an ADHD diagnosis. Among those answering the relevant life-stage questions, 70.4 per cent recalled worsening symptoms after childbirth and 97.5 per cent during menopause. Among premenopausal participants not taking hormonal therapy, 88.6 per cent reported menstrual-cycle changes in symptoms, most commonly worsening between ovulation and menstruation. These figures describe the relevant respondents, rather than all 600 women.
The findings concern reported experiences: standardised ADHD scores were similar across life stages, and the survey cannot establish hormonal causation. Nevertheless, read alongside established ADHD and menopause guidance, they suggest several practical steps. The strategies below were not tested by the Monash survey.
1. Make patterns easier to recognise
A brief record can turn a general feeling of struggling into something more useful at an appointment. Note concentration, mood, sleep, medication use and, where relevant, menstrual bleeding. A few words or a simple daily score are sufficient. If you menstruate, recording two or three cycles may reveal recurring difficult periods; with irregular or absent periods, a record of symptoms and sleep can still help. Keep the system small enough to use, and bring it to a clinician rather than trying to interpret every fluctuation yourself.
2. Ask for a treatment review when your needs change
If prescribed ADHD medication seems less helpful, or everyday functioning deteriorates, arrange a review with your prescriber. Bring examples: difficulty starting work, losing track of conversations, or being unable to complete familiar tasks. Explain when these problems occur, how long medication seems helpful and whether sleep or side effects have changed. A review can consider treatment effectiveness, timing and other health factors. Any changes to medication should be agreed with the prescriber; this study does not establish a universal menstrual-cycle dosing schedule.
3. Include menopause in the discussion
During perimenopause, changes in periods, night sweats, disturbed sleep and mood may accompany problems with memory or concentration. These deserve assessment alongside ADHD. Ask your GP which symptoms may relate to menopause and what treatment options are appropriate, including hormone replacement therapy where suitable. HRT can treat menopausal symptoms, including sleep disturbance, but the Monash survey does not establish it as an ADHD treatment. Both areas of care may need attention, with a clear plan for reviewing whether treatment is helping.
4. Adapt everyday demands to the difficulties you notice
If a record reveals predictably harder days, consider where you have room to adjust your schedule. Prepare routine tasks in advance, allow more time for demanding work and reduce competing commitments where possible. Established ADHD guidance supports changes such as quieter workspaces, written instructions and shorter periods of concentration with breaks. Choose one adjustment that addresses a specific difficulty: written priorities if verbal instructions disappear from memory, for example, or fewer interruptions when sustained attention is difficult.
5. Seek practical support beyond medication
Persistent difficulties can also warrant structured psychological support focused on ADHD, including approaches drawing on cognitive behavioural therapy. Ask for help with a concrete problem—task initiation, planning or managing competing demands—so that support has an identifiable purpose. Where appropriate, discuss adjustments with an employer or share specific needs with someone close to you. A request such as “Please write down what we agreed” gives another person a practical way to help.
The value of this research lies partly in the conversations it makes possible. Women can bring changing symptoms into clinical care, ask for treatment to be reconsidered and make adjustments before difficulties accumulate. Begin with one manageable step: a short symptom record, a review appointment or a change to a demanding routine. Support can be reassessed as circumstances change, without requiring women to solve every problem at once.
Sources / Read More
Osianlis, E., et al. “ADHD in females: Survey findings on symptoms across hormonal life stages.” Journal of Psychiatric Research, 193 (2026), 208–215. Read the study.
NICE. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management (NG87). Recommendations and rationale for treatment and support.
NHS. Symptoms of menopause and perimenopause and About hormone replacement therapy.
Courtside Surgery. Perimenopause and menopause: symptom tracking and support.
ADHD_Women_Monash_Study.md
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