Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment (Jul 2022)

Working Conditions, Work Productivity, Quality of Life, and Depressive Symptoms in Undiagnosed Adults with and without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Symptoms During the COVID-19 Pandemic

  • Nakai T,
  • Tsuji T,
  • Tsuda H,
  • Sotodate T,
  • Namba Y,
  • Uenishi T,
  • Iwasaki K,
  • Kokubo K,
  • Tomita H

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 18
pp. 1561 – 1572

Abstract

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Toru Nakai,1,* Toshinaga Tsuji,1,* Hiroshi Tsuda,2– 5 Takuma Sotodate,5 Yuki Namba,1 Tatsuhiro Uenishi,6 Katsuhiko Iwasaki,6 Kinya Kokubo,7,8 Hiroaki Tomita9 1Medical Affairs Department, Shionogi & Co., Ltd, Osaka, Japan; 2Clinical Research, Innovation and Education Center, Tohoku University Hospital, Sendai, Japan; 3Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan; 4Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo, Japan; 5Japan Medical Office, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Tokyo, Japan; 6Data Science Department, Medilead, Inc, Tokyo, Japan; 7Medilead, Inc, Tokyo, Japan; 8Department of International Business, Faculty of International Politics and Economics, Nishogakusha University, Tokyo, Japan; 9Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Toru Nakai, Medical Affairs Department, Shionogi & Co., Ltd, 4-7-6, Doshomachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka, 541-0045, Japan, Email [email protected]: This study aims to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment status, work productivity, quality of life (QOL), and depressive symptoms in undiagnosed adults with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in Japan.Methods: An observational study used baseline data from a Japanese Medilead Healthcare Panel before the COVID-19 pandemic (October–December 2019). Eligible panel participants were then surveyed during the pandemic (March 2021). ADHD symptoms were screened using the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale. Changes in QOL (EuroQol 5-Dimensions 5-Levels; EQ-5D-5L) and productivity impairment (Work Productivity and Activity Impairment scale; WPAI) from before to during the pandemic were analyzed in undiagnosed adults with and without ADHD symptoms. Unemployment rate and depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire; PHQ-9) during the pandemic were compared between groups.Results: Participants with (N=949) and without (N=942) ADHD symptoms completed the survey. The unemployment rate was not significantly different between participants with and without ADHD symptoms. Participants with ADHD symptoms were more likely to change jobs or employers during the pandemic. PHQ-9 scores in participants with ADHD symptoms were significantly higher than in those without ADHD symptoms (8.96 vs 3.57, respectively) during the pandemic. Before the pandemic, WPAI scores were significantly higher and EQ-5D-5L scores lower in participants with ADHD symptoms than in those without. Productivity improved and QOL was not altered during the pandemic in both groups, but productivity and QOL remained poorer among participants with ADHD symptoms than in those without.Conclusion: Productivity was improved among all participants during the COVID-19 pandemic, contrary to expectations. However, adults with ADHD symptoms consistently had lower productivity, poorer QOL, and more depressive symptoms than those without ADHD symptoms.Keywords: absenteeism, ADHD symptoms, ASRS, COVID-19, depression, Japan, presenteeism, quality of life, working from home, work productivity

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