Dr Eve Holden (she/her)
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chimpanzeve.bsky.social
Dr Eve Holden (she/her)
@chimpanzeve.bsky.social
Comparative & anthropological psychologist. Socialisation & development in people & nonhuman primates. Interests in evolution, culture, experience, social behaviour, learning, sex, gender. Postdoc @DurhamPsych. Fieldwork lover. Cat & plant mother. ADHD.
Pinned
New paper in @natureportfolio.nature.com's Scientific Reports!
We investigated emotional & psychological impact of late ADHD diagnoses in women
Highlighting how undiagnosed ADHD contributes to life-long challenges & how diagnosis in adulthood can be life-changing
#ADHD #WomenWithADHD #ADHDawareness
Adverse experiences of women with undiagnosed ADHD and the invaluable role of diagnosis - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Adverse experiences of women with undiagnosed ADHD and the invaluable role of diagnosis
www.nature.com
Reposted by Dr Eve Holden (she/her)
⚠️ New paper! Why do words sound so similar? In an agent-based model + communication game, we show that production/comprehension pressures trade off to shape lexicon structure.

In @cognitionjournal.bsky.social w/ @simonkirby.bsky.social & Jenny Culbertson.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
The lexicon adapts to competing communicative pressures: Explaining patterns of word similarity
Cross-linguistically, lexicons tend to be more phonetically clustered than required by the phonotactics of the language; that is, words within a langu…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 10, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Reposted by Dr Eve Holden (she/her)
"Participants found diagnosis revelatory, their lives finally making sense; citing healing, improved self-esteem, and life feeling more worth living." 💯

It's was liberating! Great 📚
I'll keep commenting on it because it's so important as a scientist to reflect on the role of my diagnosis #ADHD 🧪🧐
Adverse experiences of women with undiagnosed ADHD and the invaluable role of diagnosis - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Adverse experiences of women with undiagnosed ADHD and the invaluable role of diagnosis
www.nature.com
September 25, 2025 at 12:31 AM
Reposted by Dr Eve Holden (she/her)
👇 interview on collaborative (research 🧪) cultures

Thanks to @humboldt-foundation.de for funding my work on cooperative subsistence across cultures, w/ @sheinalew.bsky.social, and my network at @durhamdcerc.bsky.social: @mandolinguist.bsky.social @amandinevisine.bsky.social @chimpanzeve.bsky.social
September 15, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Reposted by Dr Eve Holden (she/her)
Durham's Dunagree Lab continues to be the most wonderful workplace. Thank you to @sheinalew.bsky.social, @chimpanzeve.bsky.social, @fhillemann.bsky.social, @amandinevisine.bsky.social and others not on Bluesky for the surprise baby shower today 🥹
September 12, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Reposted by Dr Eve Holden (she/her)
late diagnosed women with ADHD found diagnosis revelatory, their lives finally making sense; citing healing, improved self-esteem, and life feeling more worth living.

The adversities faced from delayed diagnoses were described from early childhood, through adolescence, and adulthood
July 26, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Reposted by Dr Eve Holden (she/her)
late diagnosed women with ADHD “commonly reported internalising criticism & described disconcertingly low self-esteem; citing guilt, shame, and negative self-perception due to delayed diagnoses.
July 26, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Reposted by Dr Eve Holden (she/her)
investigate the perspectives of 28 women with late-diagnosed ADHD.

Results starkly demonstrate the criticism and lack of support participants faced from society and medical professionals, illustrating the negative consequences of delayed ADHD diagnosis on quality of life and mental health.
July 26, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Reposted by Dr Eve Holden (she/her)
A lot of disability is invisible

But it also goes deeper than that…

You might only see what we choose to show you

Society teaches us to hide the hard days
To keep pushing through
To prioritise productivity
To mask our pain
To feel shame about who we are
And to fear judgment for being different
July 24, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Reposted by Dr Eve Holden (she/her)
Obviously I'm not a woman and it's much, much more likely that ADHD goes undiagnosed in women than in men, but this is exactly what it looked like for me as well. Diagnosis changed my life in a big way.
The “overdiagnosed ADHD” debate continues… but here’s what late diagnosis looks like for many women:

❌ Years of criticism
❌ No support = low self-esteem, guilt and shame
✅ Diagnosis = clarity, healing and feeling like life is more worth living

This matters. So does the research

#AuDHD
Adverse experiences of women with undiagnosed ADHD and the invaluable role of diagnosis

#psychiatry #ADHD #diagnosis #woman #neuro #LivedExperience 🧪

doi.org/10.1038/s415...
July 25, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Reposted by Dr Eve Holden (she/her)
the amount of stories I read from women being diagnosed at age 30+ is honestly such a big failure and I'm glad they (and me!) are finally getting the support they need after this amount of time.
imagine having a broken wrist for 30 years and nobody noticing? that'd be unconsciable. alas!
The “overdiagnosed ADHD” debate continues… but here’s what late diagnosis looks like for many women:

❌ Years of criticism
❌ No support = low self-esteem, guilt and shame
✅ Diagnosis = clarity, healing and feeling like life is more worth living

This matters. So does the research

#AuDHD
Adverse experiences of women with undiagnosed ADHD and the invaluable role of diagnosis

#psychiatry #ADHD #diagnosis #woman #neuro #LivedExperience 🧪

doi.org/10.1038/s415...
July 25, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Reposted by Dr Eve Holden (she/her)
Yep. There was a year in my childhood where a teacher I didn't get along w/ suggested I might have ADD. My mom took offense & I managed to do "better," but man. If I had been diagnosed then, my life would have been so different. I still struggle w/ self-worth, but the diagnosis did help at the time.
The “overdiagnosed ADHD” debate continues… but here’s what late diagnosis looks like for many women:

❌ Years of criticism
❌ No support = low self-esteem, guilt and shame
✅ Diagnosis = clarity, healing and feeling like life is more worth living

This matters. So does the research

#AuDHD
Adverse experiences of women with undiagnosed ADHD and the invaluable role of diagnosis

#psychiatry #ADHD #diagnosis #woman #neuro #LivedExperience 🧪

doi.org/10.1038/s415...
July 25, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Reposted by Dr Eve Holden (she/her)
The “overdiagnosed ADHD” debate continues… but here’s what late diagnosis looks like for many women:

❌ Years of criticism
❌ No support = low self-esteem, guilt and shame
✅ Diagnosis = clarity, healing and feeling like life is more worth living

This matters. So does the research

#AuDHD
July 25, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Reposted by Dr Eve Holden (she/her)
This is so accurate to my own experience with a late diagnosis. Some of the statements from the participants are exactly what I would've said.
A study in Scientific Reports surveys women with late-diagnosed ADHD. The results illustrate the negative consequences of delayed ADHD diagnosis on quality of life and mental health. 🧪
Adverse experiences of women with undiagnosed ADHD and the invaluable role of diagnosis - Scientific Reports
Girls and women are disproportionately affected by delayed diagnoses of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but research on the impact of this is limited. Our study aimed to centre lived experiences of women with late-diagnosed ADHD to increase understanding of the impact of such delays. We employed a mixed methods survey to investigate the perspectives of 28 women with late-diagnosed ADHD. Results starkly demonstrate the criticism and lack of support participants faced from society and medical professionals, illustrating the negative consequences of delayed ADHD diagnosis on quality of life and mental health. Participants commonly reported internalising criticism and described disconcertingly low self-esteem; citing guilt, shame, and negative self-perception due to delayed diagnoses. Participants found diagnosis revelatory, their lives finally making sense; citing healing, improved self-esteem, and life feeling more worth living. The adversities faced from delayed diagnoses were described from early childhood, through adolescence, and adulthood. Participants reflected on ‘what could have been’, and described grieving the lives they could have led if diagnosed earlier. The negative impacts of missed ADHD diagnosis are broad and span life stages. With potential implications for public health policy, this work highlights the importance of increasing girls’ and women’s access to ADHD diagnoses to address avoidable detrimental hardship.
go.nature.com
July 23, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Reposted by Dr Eve Holden (she/her)
A study in Scientific Reports surveys women with late-diagnosed ADHD. The results illustrate the negative consequences of delayed ADHD diagnosis on quality of life and mental health. 🧪
Adverse experiences of women with undiagnosed ADHD and the invaluable role of diagnosis - Scientific Reports
Girls and women are disproportionately affected by delayed diagnoses of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but research on the impact of this is limited. Our study aimed to centre lived experiences of women with late-diagnosed ADHD to increase understanding of the impact of such delays. We employed a mixed methods survey to investigate the perspectives of 28 women with late-diagnosed ADHD. Results starkly demonstrate the criticism and lack of support participants faced from society and medical professionals, illustrating the negative consequences of delayed ADHD diagnosis on quality of life and mental health. Participants commonly reported internalising criticism and described disconcertingly low self-esteem; citing guilt, shame, and negative self-perception due to delayed diagnoses. Participants found diagnosis revelatory, their lives finally making sense; citing healing, improved self-esteem, and life feeling more worth living. The adversities faced from delayed diagnoses were described from early childhood, through adolescence, and adulthood. Participants reflected on ‘what could have been’, and described grieving the lives they could have led if diagnosed earlier. The negative impacts of missed ADHD diagnosis are broad and span life stages. With potential implications for public health policy, this work highlights the importance of increasing girls’ and women’s access to ADHD diagnoses to address avoidable detrimental hardship.
go.nature.com
July 23, 2025 at 7:33 PM
In ADHD science podcast's new episode we talk to @maxdavie.bsky.social about our paper on women's experiences being late diagnosed with ADHD

Thanks so much for having us!

Listen to the ep here:
zencastr.com/z/Jr_wK-NO
Find the paper here:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@natureportfolio.nature.com
July 20, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Reposted by Dr Eve Holden (she/her)
Thank you to Max for inviting and hosting us on the podcast! Most importantly, thank you to our research participants for their time and raw honestly which made our paper possible.

#adhd #adhduk #adhdresearch #adhdinwomen
July 20, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Want a summary of our new paper on the impact of delayed ADHD diagnosis in women?

Well I have just the ticket! Perfect for people who don't have an academic background, or those looking for a lighter read :)

otherprimates.wordpress.com/2025/07/04/u...

#ADHD #DelayedDiagnosis #WomensHealth
July 4, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Reposted by Dr Eve Holden (she/her)
In a narrow passage running between the massive stone house walls, more than 4500 years ago, someone sat and incised a pattern. Skara Brae has the same linear and geometric art as other Orkney Neolithic sites: not writing, not drawing, something else 🏺🧪

(zoom in on the stone on the left…)
April 12, 2024 at 2:33 PM
New paper in @natureportfolio.nature.com's Scientific Reports!
We investigated emotional & psychological impact of late ADHD diagnoses in women
Highlighting how undiagnosed ADHD contributes to life-long challenges & how diagnosis in adulthood can be life-changing
#ADHD #WomenWithADHD #ADHDawareness
Adverse experiences of women with undiagnosed ADHD and the invaluable role of diagnosis - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Adverse experiences of women with undiagnosed ADHD and the invaluable role of diagnosis
www.nature.com
July 1, 2025 at 9:44 PM
🚨New paper alert!!!🚨
"Adverse experiences of women with undiagnosed ADHD and the invaluable role of diagnosis"

Unbelievably proud of this work w Helena Kobayashi-Wood which is an extension of her *undergraduate* @standrewspsyneuro.bsky.social dissertation project

open access here: rdcu.be/eukfd
Adverse experiences of women with undiagnosed ADHD and the invaluable role of diagnosis
Scientific Reports - Adverse experiences of women with undiagnosed ADHD and the invaluable role of diagnosis
rdcu.be
July 1, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Reposted by Dr Eve Holden (she/her)
🚨 Recruiting! I’m looking for two graduate students (MSc or PhD) already based in Canada to join my lab and work on biodiversity research - broadly defined.

Based at Concordia University (Montreal) - competitive stipends will be offered.

communityandquantitativeecology.weebly.com
Community and Quantitative Ecology
Spatial Patterns of Biodiversity LABORATORY OF COMMUNITY AND QUANTITATIVE ECOLOGY
communityandquantitativeecology.weebly.com
June 13, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Reposted by Dr Eve Holden (she/her)
Did you know that our field guide to cross-cultural research on childhood learning is completely FREE?

books.openbookpublishers.com/10.11647/obp...
books.openbookpublishers.com
June 6, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Been browsing the #ENPA2025 conference schedule & abstracts

Freaking out at how much exciting & interesting work that's going to be presented!
🧠 What does psychological anthropology look like today?
The #ENPA2025 revolves around interdisciplinary approaches to mental health, therapy, childhood, gender & sexuality, migration, decoloniality, & more.
📖 Browse conference booklet here: buff.ly/UonUHZB
June 9, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Reposted by Dr Eve Holden (she/her)
🧠 What does psychological anthropology look like today?
The #ENPA2025 revolves around interdisciplinary approaches to mental health, therapy, childhood, gender & sexuality, migration, decoloniality, & more.
📖 Browse conference booklet here: buff.ly/UonUHZB
June 6, 2025 at 3:39 PM