78% of employees with ADHD want more support. Here are the latest solutions

Every employer wants their employees to work at their full potential. But to support that, leaders must be knowledgeable and mindful of hurdles in the way of workers' success, including those that come in the form of mental health challenges.

Approximately 4% of all adults in the United States have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to SHRM, and less than one-fifth of those workers have received treatment or diagnosis. Despite ADHD being one of the more common mental health afflictions, it often lacks support within employee benefits packages.

"When we think about ADHD, especially in the workplace, it's often thought to be just struggling to focus, but it's so much more than that," says Caitlin Stamatis, director of medical and scientific affairs at digital medicine platform, Akili. "It's everything from struggling to manage your time to juggling tasks to executive function challenges."

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A recent Akili survey of 500 employees with ADHD and 500 managers found that 97% of employees managing ADHD think they could accomplish more at work if they could better manage their symptoms. While 94% of respondents are already using treatment or other methods to address their ADHD, 78% still crave more support to reach their full potential at work.

"The standard treatments, which are effective for a lot of patients, haven't changed in about 50 years," Stamatis says. "As a result, there are still challenges, even the best treatments out there." 

Medication continues to be one of the leading treatment plans for ADHD patients, but it can come with plenty of side effects. In recent months, for example, there has been an accessibility issue with medication, with 88% of Akili respondents confirming they've been directly impacted by the ongoing shortage.

Ninety-five percent of employees with ADHD, however, simpy feel limited by the treatment options available to them, according to the survey. Kalab Frisby, an associate licensed clinical therapist and social worker in the process of getting his full license, says he regularly falls into this category. 

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"My ADHD has been a lifelong journey," Frisby says. He now uses Akili's EndeavorOTC program, an app that provides 30-minute gamified tasks meant to sharpen a player's focus, heighten their tolerance towards frustration and strengthen their memory. "I do choose to use medication as one of the resources to support me, as well as some lifestyle changes. But there are still days that my ADHD shows up, and it's still a struggle."

For Frisby, his unique symptoms have caused him to struggle most with managing tasks, especially documentation. At his previous job, certain administrative tasks were so overwhelming he found himself working 12-14 hour days while colleagues clocked out after eight. From his employer, he received little to no support — both in terms of workplace accommodations or resources. 

"There was a lot of initial expression from leadership that there would be support, and I was encouraged to advocate for myself — and then later it would get brought up in performance reviews and used against me," he says. 

He's not alone: Akili found that 87% of employees said they believed ADHD has contributed to negative career events, including receiving a negative performance evaluation, being passed over for a promotion, or having core responsibilities taken away. 

The experience ultimately drove Frisby away from that position, and today, he works at a private practice that is more accommodating to his needs both inside and outside the office — so much so that he feels comfortable enough to use Akili's EndeavorOTC at work when he forgets to incorporate it into his morning routine as usual. 

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"Employers need to have this on their radar because it is likely that a vast number of people in their companies are struggling from this," Stamantis says. "This is an opportunity to make a difference, and it starts with acknowledging that this is a real problem in the workplace." 

She also encourages employees to take a deep dive into their benefits offerings and ensure that their people have access to behavioral treatments and other things within their healthcare coverage that would allow them to get services they need, such as a digital therapeutic like EndeavorOTC. 

"Mostly it's establishing a culture that's supportive of mental health and mental health disclosure to fight some of the stigma," Stamantis says. "We know that when people in positions of power speak out, that can go a really long way to just raise that awareness and get employees in a position to advocate for the things that will help them to perform at their full potential."