Can ADHD benefits help workers with mental health challenges?

As more and more people are talking about attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), many Canadians are feeling helpless, according to a recent report from virtual healthcare provider FRIDA.

“There’s a growing awareness of adult ADHD and more Canadians are thinking they might have it but are struggling to get a clinical diagnosis. Some provinces have even closed psychiatrist wait lists and it's rare to find a doctor to diagnose,” said Dr. Caley Shukalek, chief medical officer of FRIDA, who himself has ADHD.

Overall, 40% of newly diagnosed ADHD patients are self-treating prior to diagnosis, and 48% said self-treatment methods were ineffective.

“ADHD has high rates of concurrence with depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues,” he told HRD. “And oftentimes, treating ADHD is actually pretty fundamental to management with the other mental health concerns. We know that wellness of the workforce is important for employers. Less sick time, less time off.”

ADHD can also have a negative impact on workers’ productivity, attentiveness, task completion and emotional stability, among others, he said.

It’s estimated that upwards of 15% of the global population are neurodiverse. Despite this, two in five are nervous about revealing this to their employer or their colleagues, according to a previous report.

How do you treat ADHD on your own?

Among ADHD patients who are resorting to self-treatment, the following methods are the most popular, according to FRIDA's survey of hundreds of respondents in January:

• exercise (70%)
• tips from social media like TikTok (59.1%)
• supplements, (59.7%)
• nutrition changes (55%)
• meditation (58.4%)
• cannabis (39.6%)
• alcohol (19.5%)
• ADHD apps (27%)

“Part of that, I think more recently, has been driven by a flurry of social media posts around ADHD,” said Shukalek, referring to the number of those turning to self-treatment.

A June 2022 article featured in The Guardian reported that TikTok videos tagged with #ADHD have been viewed more than 11 billion times.

That could be helpful in raising awareness about this mental health condition, said Shukalek.

“You'll have qualified health professionals who have social media accounts and are disseminating information that is based on their expert knowledge and opinions… Overall, it's helpful [when it comes to] raising awareness [about] this mental health issue that is quite prevalent, similar to anxiety and depression, which we all know about.”

However, it can also be dangerous for workers with ADHD to blindly follow tips that they find online, he said.

“There are certainly people out there who are taking advantage of this social media wave about ADHD and providing recommendations or trying to sell things that have no evidence in terms of being effective.”

Frustration, sadness linked to self-treatment

However, self-treatment seems to cause further damage to workers’ mental health: 48% of respondents to FRIDA’s survey said these methods were ineffective.

In a separate survey of 16,100 ADHD patients diagnosed with ADHD, FRIDA found that:

• 99% were frustrated with themselves 
• 97% said they feel bad about themselves 
• nearly 92% reported not feeling happy with their life 
• nearly 91% have problems with sleeping 
• 74% cited getting into arguments 

“Access is something that is limited in terms of both [ADHD] diagnosis and management,” said Shukalek.

Here are three key ways to improve neurodiversity in the workplace, according to an expert.

How can you support people with ADHD in the workplace?

For employers looking to put in place the necessary support for workers with ADHD, their HR teams should ensure to ask their insurance provider about coverage, said Shukalek.

“It's important for employers to think, ‘What are the gaps in our coverage?’. ‘Are we providing supplementary health insurance to employees that really gives them the ability to access necessary services to be well?’”

Shukalek also noted that there are some improvements. “We're seeing things get better.” 

However, many employee insurance programs don't cover nurse practitioner services, he said. 

“So there's many reasons for employers to be aware of this, and of the access issues that exist.”