This was a systematic review of studies on the working lives of adults with ADHD. The authors searched eight databases and pulled together 79 studies published between 1993 and 2023, covering 68,275 people with ADHD across 22 countries such as the United States, Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan. Rather than combine the numbers into one overall effect, they grouped what the studies reported into four areas: challenges, strengths, adaptations, and differences between men and women.
The authors concluded that people with ADHD can adapt and thrive at work when there is a good fit between the person and the job, along with accommodations and support. They argued that many ADHD-related challenges can be reworked as assets in flexible, open workplaces.
The studies also showed mixed views on performance. Some found that workers with ADHD rated their own performance lower than workers without ADHD, while others found no difference. People with ADHD tended to rate their own performance higher than their employers, clinicians, parents or observers did. The authors note that most of the included studies had mostly male samples, so the findings fit male workers better than female ones.
The authors suggest that employers, supervisors and coworkers embrace the strengths ADHD can bring and adopt inclusive hiring and management practices.
Source: Hotte-Meunier A, Sarraf L, Bougeard A, et al.. Strengths and challenges to embrace attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in employment—A systematic review. Neurodiversity (2024). doi:10.1177/27546330241287655