ADHD Can Also Cause Adults to Work Less Hard Says New Study.

Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) do about one month's less work each year than people who don't have this condition.

These are the findings from a new study from the World Health Organisation.

The condition of ADHD is usually characterised by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity and is more common among children in the preschool and early school years.

Children with ADHD find it hard to control their behaviour and pay attention. The US National Institutes of Health estimated that between 3 and 5 per cent of children have ADHD.

The study found that on average, adults with ADHD said they were out of work for 8.4 more days than people without ADHD. They also reported 21.7 more days in which they didn't get as much done as they usually did, and 13.6 more days in which they cut back on the quality of their work or worked less carefully.

The study suggests that workplace programmes to screen employees for ADHD and provide treatment could be a cost-effective way to improve productivity,

It also states that one way to help workers with ADHD might be to allow them to concentrate on a single task per day.