Executive Function and Work Performance in ADHD
Research question: How do specific executive function deficits impact work performance and career progression in adults with ADHD?
Plain-language summary
Research suggests that specific challenges with executive functions, such as planning, organization, and time management, can significantly impact how adults with ADHD perform at work and advance in their careers. While these studies highlight the difficulties, they also explore potential ways to measure and support work performance in adults with ADHD.
Key findings
- Executive function deficits are linked to poorer work performance in adults with ADHD.
- Interventions focusing on metacognitive strategies (thinking about one's thinking and learning) delivered via telehealth may help improve work performance for adults with ADHD.
- Developing specialized tools to accurately measure work performance in adults with ADHD is an ongoing area of research.
Studies cited (2)
- Work-MAP Telehealth Metacognitive Work-Performance Intervention for Adults With ADHD: Randomized Controlled Trial — Grinblat N, Rosenblum S (2023, OTJR : occupation, participation and health, rct)
DOI: 10.1177/15394492231159902 PMCID: PMC10336612
- Work and Occupational Performance in ADHD (WOPA): Initial Validation of an ADHD Work Performance Measure in a Large Community Sample — Fuermaier ABM, Guo N, Steggemann C (2025, Journal of attention disorders, other)
DOI: 10.1177/10870547251355003
Based on 2 curated peer-reviewed studies (from 13 matches across PubMed, Semantic Scholar, and Europe PMC).