When Diagnosis Does Not Always Mean Disability: The Challenge of Employees with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Abstract

Although commonly conceptualized as a childhood disorder, researchers in the fields of medicine and psychiatry now acknowledge that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) persists into adulthood. In fact, evidence exists that ADHD is one of the most prevalent mental disorders among American adults. Although ADHD can be covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), there are several challenges that sufferers face when requesting accommodations for their conditions. Although some of these challenges relate to the vagueness of the legislation, perhaps of the greatest difficulties facing adults with ADHD are human resource departments' policies toward mental illness and managers/coworkers attitudes about the condition. This article provides an overview of ADHD in adults and explores human resource department's positioning vis-à-vis psychiatric disorders.

KEYWORDS:

• attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
• bias
• mental health
• stigma