concerns over Australia’s latest ADHD reforms, highlighting how the changes are not only sidelining a predominantly female workforce but also failing to address the unique needs of women and girls living with ADHD.
Women at the Heart of ADHD Care — Now Being Pushed Aside
Professionals such as psychologists, counselors, and educational therapists—most of whom are women—have long played a central role in identifying and supporting individuals with ADHD. However, new reforms have shifted diagnostic authority and prescribing power away from these frontline professionals and placed it solely in the hands of GPs and psychiatrists.
This top-down restructuring is being criticized for effectively silencing a feminized profession that has been instrumental in early diagnosis and personalized care.
Do These Reforms Actually Help?
While the government claims the changes aim to reduce medication misuse and streamline services, experts argue that the reforms may be doing more harm than good—especially for women.
ADHD often presents differently in women and girls compared to their male counterparts. Symptoms are typically internalized, leading to chronic underdiagnosis, anxiety, depression, and academic or career setbacks. Without access to trained professionals who understand these gender-specific patterns, many women risk falling through the cracks.
Gender-Blind Policies Lead to Gendered Harms
Critics warn that any mental health reform that ignores gendered experiences will ultimately fail. Women clinicians bring both statistical presence and deep contextual insight into the lived realities of ADHD in females. Their exclusion from decision-making processes means that systemic change is occurring without a gender-informed lens.
The Result: Silence Instead of Progress
Instead of fostering better support systems, these reforms are weakening the very networks that helped women get diagnosed and treated effectively. In an effort to control prescription rates, the system risks excluding those who need help the most—particularly marginalized women and neurodivergent individuals.
Women’s Agenda