The Impact of Untreated ADHD in the Workplace

You may know that Adult ADHD costs the U.S. $77 billion in lost household income annually. But the impact of untreated ADHD in the workplace goes much further than that figure.

According to an article published by Mental Health America of Greater Indianapolis, adults with ADHD are less likely to be employed at all, stemming from a difficulty to manage large workloads and concentrate on specific tasks. ADHD adults who are employed are also less likely to express complete satisfaction with their jobs - with a staggering 43 percent having left one or more jobs because of ADHD symptoms.

Before even entering the workplace, folks with untreated ADHD are more likely to have increased stress, depression and poor mental and physical health in their lives, with inclinations to develop low self-esteem and anxiety at an early age.

This article really reinforces the importance of diagnosing and treating ADHD at the earliest possible age... not just for the sake of our economy but for the sake of our quality of life.

Greatest Challenges for ADHD Employees

In this economy, holding a long-term job is a challenge. Maintaining that same job becomes all the more difficult if you are an employee with ADHD.

I recently came across a really interesting and informational article on WebMD that outlines some of the greatest challenges ADHDers face in the workplace. WebMD rightfully cites ADHDers with time management, procrastination, and attention-to-detail issues.

The article also offers tips on how people with ADHD can combat these issues. Diagnosis, therapy and medication are just a few of their suggestions.

Check out the full article, on WebMD, here.

ADHD in the Workplace

Hi, everyone. Welcome to my first blog post! I'd like to start out by introducing a conversation about ADHD in the workplace. Feel free to leave me a comment in the form, below.

HR professionals, as well as businesses at large, are becoming more and more interested as they recognize that ADHD in the workplace is a huge issue significantly impacting productivity, profitability and morale. They are finding - this is the good news - that knowledge and awareness are helping them find great solutions.

According to a study conducted by Blythe Grossberg and published in her book Making ADD Work: On-the-Job Strategies for Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder, many HR professionals had no idea of how prevalent ADHD is in adults, hence in their organizations. Click here to see her comments.

What is your understanding of ADHD and how it is impacting your company? Please be as specific as possible in your responses. Your specificity will help all of us.