Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, can pose various challenges in the workplace.
Internal chaos, forgetfulness, fluctuating emotions and procrastination.
The manifestation of ADHD in girls and women is very different from the typical ADHD diagnosis with its traits of hyperactivity and impulsiveness. While these traits can also be found in women, hyperactivity is primarily associated with boys and men.
Up until recent decades, ADHD was considered a disorder affecting only boys. It has since been understood that because ADHD traits differ between the genders, ADHD in girls and women has likely gone unrecognised and, consequently, underdiagnosed.
For this reason, research addressing ADHD in women and girls remains scarce. Although evidence on the subject keeps accumulating, women’s ADHD traits are much less well understood than those of men, leading to undiagnosed women often experiencing exhaustion, fatigue and depression due to a lack of appropriate support.
Exploring workplace learning and coping strategies
Mia Ahonen, a doctoral researcher in adult education, is currently exploring how highly educated women diagnosed with ADHD experience workplace learning, and what kind of learning-related challenges and opportunities they encounter.
Since many adult women living with ADHD today have grown up without being diagnosed, they have developed various independent coping strategies both at home and in the workplace work. Ahonen is interested in these strategies, too.
“The fast pace and constant change associated with the modern workplace, especially in expert roles, combined with ADHD traits, can be a challenge. This is why I want study how women diagnosed with ADHD experience the intense pace of the workplace and workplace learning. I am also interested in the challenges they have faced in the workplace – and how they have overcome them.”
Women diagnosed with ADHD often face challenges with planning, attention and initiative. Emotional regulation, issues with working memory and self-direction can also cause problems, and the constant demands of learning new things and coping with changes can easily affect well-being.
“This is why women diagnosed with ADHD may have a higher risk of burnout than their neurotypical colleagues,” Ahonen notes.
An important and unique study
Social interaction can also be challenging and burdensome for those diagnosed with ADHD. For example, open-plan offices, noise, other people’s presence and various scents can contribute to concentration difficulties.
“Unfortunately, workspaces are often designed with neurotypical people in mind, which means that the work environment alone can cause anxiety and pose challenges to getting work done.”
According to Ahonen, her study is probably the first of its kind in the world.
“A study on women diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood was recently conducted in Australia. I have spoken with the researcher who conducted that study, and they have not encountered any other research on this topic either.”
Ahonen’s doctoral dissertation is thus a pioneering study into ADHD in women, attracting plenty of interest right from the start.
A trending diagnosis
Ahonen’s enthusiasm for the topic stems from her personal experiences.
Ahonen acknowledges the “trending diagnosis phenomenon” associated with ADHD. Recent public debate has touched on whether ADHD diagnoses are made too easily, or whether general inattentiveness is simply a result of our stimuli-filled world.
“Perhaps the ADHD label is easily applied to children who are more active and restless than their peers. But I believe that diagnoses, especially for women in adulthood, are mostly accurate and ultimately make the lives of many easier.”
Research findings for the benefit of all
Ahonen’s interview study is about to begin soon. According to her, the findings of the study can later be used, for example, in the pedagogical development of workplaces, taking into account different learners and learning needs.
“Pedagogical planning in the workplace ultimately benefits everyone, as people learn new things in different ways, whether they have a diagnosis or not.”
Ahonen also wants to emphasise that the lives of those diagnosed with ADHD are not just filled with challenges.
“ADHD can be associated with many strengths. Employees diagnosed with ADHD can be creative, intuitive and energetic problem-solvers who think outside the box. ADHD is by no means a barrier to success in the workplace – quite the opposite. An interesting topic of research would be to explore which ADHD-associated traits have been helpful in the workplace or have advanced people’s careers.”
But for now, let’s stick to the current study.
“I hope that the research findings will ultimately stir discussion about neurodiversity and inclusivity in the workplace.”
Ahonen’s doctoral dissertation has received funding from the Finnish Concordia Fund.