Increasing awareness around ADHD – the neurodevelopmental condition that can affect behaviour – can make it feel like the world is becoming a friendlier place for neurodiverse people.

But a new study has revealed that there’s still a long way to go, especially when it comes to careers. Data from a survey of more than 1,000 people shows that 83% of women and 79% of non-binary people surveyed believe there’s still a stigma associated with ADHD.

And this is felt particularly strongly at work. The survey, conducted by biopharmaceutical company Takeda, found that 96% of people living with ADHD in the UK are reluctant to bring up their diagnosis in the workplace.

“Although we are now seeing an increase in awareness of ADHD, approximately 50–75% of women remain undiagnosed and there is still a lack of understanding of the condition,” explains Professor Amanda Kirby, chair of the ADHD Foundation. “This is especially true in the workplace.”

So how can employers and offices better support neurodiverse people? Increased awareness of the condition can only help, Kirby suggests. “When a workplace is supportive and aware of women with ADHD traits, it allows those with the condition to unmask and be their true selves,” she says. “This opens the door to employers gaining the benefits from new ways of thinking and new ideas.”

Other solutions also emerged from the survey. More than half of respondents said that establishing a staff culture is key, while just under half (48%) suggested that personalised career paths should be created to match the person and their specific needs. 

Amber Pessoa, an ADHD ambassador, has first-hand experience of not feeling supported in the workplace, having found it difficult to manage in her first full-time role as an analyst in the pharmaceutical sector. “The company tried to be supportive, but it felt like they didn’t understand that ADHD is a lifelong condition that doesn’t ‘improve’ naturally with time,” she explains. 

Amber says that when she was referred to occupational health to assess her fitness to work, it rang alarm bells. “I didn’t feel like I was unable to work and perform to the company’s standard – I knew I could do it; I just needed the right help,” she says. “The session turned out to be helpful. I could tell the healthcare professional exactly how my ADHD impacted my work, and we wrote up a list of recommendations that was shared with management.”

However, when her employer wasn’t willing to implement her reasonable accommodations on a longer-term basis, she resigned and gained a place on a legal internship. “The [new] firm felt more friendly and willing to provide the flexibility I needed to excel, as well as more experienced at accommodating ADHD/neurodivergence as a whole,” she says. “I’m currently working as a corporate legal assistant at the same law firm and have been continually supported.”

Pessoa goes on to explain that in the right working environment, differences can be strengths. We simply need employers to champion them and understand that DE&I (diversity, equity and inclusion) isn’t simply a buzz phrase or trend, it’s a long-term movement.

Staring back at me is an awareness campaign initiated and funded by Takeda in the UK together with four UK ADHD organisations: ADHD Foundation, Centre for ADHD and Autism Support, ADHD Solutions, and ADDISS

Images: Getty