Adult ADHD 'linked to lost work' |
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Adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder do 22 fewer days of work per year than people who do not have the condition, a study says. The research, which looked at 7,000 workers in 10 countries, found an average of 3.5% had ADHD. Writing in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the Dutch team said workplace screening should be used to pick up people with the problem. A UK expert backed the idea, but warned they should not be stigmatised.
People who have ADHD find it difficult to concentrate because they may be hyperactive, easily distracted, forgetful or impulsive. It is commonly thought of as a childhood disorder, often picked up because of problems at school. However, there are estimates that around two-thirds of those affected in childhood are still experiencing symptoms in adulthood. More common in men In the study, employed and self-employed workers aged 18 - 44 were screened for ADHD as part of the World Health Organisation World Mental Health Survey Initiative in Belgium, Colombia, France, Germany, Italy, Lebanon, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain and the USA. They were also asked about their performance at work in the last month. Those results were extrapolated out to give annual figures. Workers with ADHD were found to take an average of eight days off sick each year. They also had, on average, 21 days where they did less work than they should have and 13 days where their work was of poorer quality - each of which was deemed to equate to half a day of lost performance. ADHD was more prevalent in men and workers in developed rather than developing countries. The study was carried out by a team who are part of a World Health Organization (WHO) research consortium at Harvard Medical School. The team, led by Dr Ron de Graaf, said: "It might be cost-effective from the employer perspective to implement workplace screening programmes and provide treatment for workers with ADHD." Professor Philip Asherson, an expert in adult ADHD at London's Institute of Psychiatry, said the condition did have an impact on people's timekeeping, their relationship with colleagues and the ability to focus on work. He added: "ADHD should be included in general health screens, in the same way that people would screen for anxiety and depression. This is probably best done by GPs or occupational health departments. "However, it's important
that ADHD isn't stigmatised as many people with the condition can hold down
jobs, or may be particularly good at certain tasks." |
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It's important that ADHD isn't stigmatised as many people with
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Help in the Workplace
(Disability Discrimination Act 1995).
The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) prohibits discrimination against disabled people in employment. Employers must make reasonable adjustment to their premises or employment arrangements, if these substantially disadvantage a disabled employee, or prospective employee, compared to a non-disabled person.
An employer must not refuse to employ someone simply because they have a disability. They also have a duty to think about different ways of working.
From October 2004 the act will include the previously excluded police, prison officers, fire fighters or people who work on board ships, aircraft or hovercraft. However, the Act will still not apply to the armed forces.
Employers must not discriminate against a disabled person in
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the recruitment and retention of employees, |
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promotion and transfers, |
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training and development, |
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the dismissal process. |
Adult ADHD Sufferers Face Lost Income
Job Average Loss of $10,000 a Year, More for Professionals
By
Charlene Laino
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD
May 25, 2005 (Atlanta) -- If the jitters, short attention span, and the impulsivity of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) sound like a recipe for job disaster, you're probably right.
Adult ADHD victims suffer an average of $10,000 a year in lost income -- adding up to a staggering $77 billion annually on the national level, researchers say.
The higher the job level, the greater the hit: Professionals with postgraduate degrees lose nearly $40,000 a year, the study shows.
Downhill Spiral
Once thought of as a disease of childhood, more than 8 million adults, or 4.3% of American adults, suffer from ADHD, says Joseph Biederman, MD, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
Reporting here at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA), Biederman blames the same symptoms that cause young people with ADHD to perform poorly in school: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior. He describes a downhill spiral, with sufferers going through job after job, relationship after relationship.
"With any work we do, you have to have discipline to have a product," he tells WebMD. "If you're forgetful, fall asleep in meetings, impulsive -- as people with ADHD are -- you're not going to do well."
ADHD Crimps Abilities
Howard Eist, MD, past president of the APA and a clinical professor of psychiatry at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., isn't surprised by the findings.
Describing people who have problems with deadlines, organization, and prioritizing, he says, "It's not uncommon to be underemployed and not uncommon to run into job difficulties.
"People with adult ADHD and enormous intellectual horsepower have to work much harder than a person with much fewer IQ points to accomplish the same thing," Eist tells WebMD. "If you don't have enormous horsepower and ADHD crimps your abilities, you'll have to take a lower paying job."
The bottom line, Eist says, is that whether the price tag is "$100 billion or $150 billion, the economic impact is enormous."
So what to do?
Flexible work hours, family leave arrangements, and childcare assistance can help, according to Biederman. And obviously, correct diagnosis and treatment is essential, he says, noting that there are two drugs, Adderall and Strattera, available for adult ADHD, both of which help relieve symptoms in about two-thirds of people. Lilly, Strattera's maker, is a WebMD sponsor.
ADHD Sufferers Less Likely to Graduate
For the study, the researchers interviewed 1,000 men and women, half of whom had adult ADHD. It was funded by Shire Pharmaceuticals, the maker of Adderall.
Among the findings:
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About 17% of adults with ADHD did not graduate from high school, compared with 7% of those without the condition. |
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Just 19% of those with adult ADHD graduated from college vs. 25% of the adults without ADHD. |
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Those with adult ADHD averaged 5.4 jobs in a 10-year period, compared with 3.4 jobs for those without the disorder. |
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Only 52% of those with adult ADHD were currently employed, compared with 72% of those without the condition. |
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More than four in 10 ADHD victims lost jobs or left them due to their symptoms. |
Even after education was taken into account, the average yearly loss of household income associated with adult ADHD ranges from $8,900 to $15,400 per year, the study shows.
Also, adults with ADHD were three times more likely to suffer from depression, stress, and other mental health problems, the survey shows. And almost one in four say their symptoms are severe enough to prevent them from going about their everyday activities.
Sufferers Get Help With Jobs
York Evening Press
