A qualitative study of stress and work-related mental illness among working adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

• Objectives: Many adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) underperform professionally, are more stressed, and have more days of sickness absence than adults without ADHD. Still, few studies have explored ADHD adults’ experiences of working life. This study aimed to explore the broad experience of working as an adult with ADHD, specifically explore stress and work-related mental illness among adults with ADHD, and identify needs to prevent these negative outcomes.Methods: In-depth semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 20 working adults with ADHD. Topics in the interviews included how the ADHD diagnosis and/or symptoms of ADHD may have affected participants on the job, how work may have affected participants’ well-being, and the need for support and accommodation. A conventional approach to qualitative content analysis was used to explore verbatim transcripts from the interviews.Results: The analysis yielded three themes of everyday experiences of working with ADHD: Working and living with ADHD, Needs, and Special abilities. These themes included eight subcategories: Specific challenges; Relationships and cooperation; Negative consequences; Planning, prioritization, organization, and structure; Support, interventions, accommodations, and aids; Openness, understanding, and acceptance; Strategies; Strengths and qualities.Conclusions: The results suggest that further knowledge about the challenges of working with ADHD is needed in workplaces; where organizational support is lacking, much in terms of accommodations and aids is up to the employee, and the disclosure of diagnoses may be associated with a great dilemma. The results may also inform other social partners, e.g., labor organizations and work environment authorities, and advise regulations, recommendations, and legislation.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

adhd

adults

stress

work-related mental illness

Epidemiology

epidemiologi

psykologi

Psychology

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)