Prevalence of ADHD symptoms and depression among Malaysian working adults

Abstract

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurological condition that affects individuals’ normal functioning or growth and affected 2% to 5% of adults in Malaysia. Depression is defined as severe sadness that last for many days which affects daily activities and is the most prevalent mental illness worldwide. It was established that adults with ADHD are prone to have comorbid depression. The main goals of this study were to identify the prevalence of ADHD symptoms and depression among Malaysian working adults and its associated demographic factors. This is a cross- sectional quantitative study with 104 Malaysian working adults participated in this study through convenience sampling. An online self-report questionnaire, including demographic information, the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, and the Beck's Depression Inventory II (BDI-II), were given to the participants. The results obtained from this study showed about 30% participants (n=34) were identified with ADHD symptoms and 100% of participants (n=104) were identified with depressive symptoms. Additional analysis revealed significant negative association (p<0.05) between ADHD symptoms and age. Moreover, ADHD symptoms showed significant positive relationship (p<0.05) with depression. In conclusion, depression is high among younger employees in Malaysia which is also associated to ADHD symptoms. This emphasizes the need of attending to the consequences of ADHD symptoms and depression within the workplace. Acknowledging, understanding and caring for employees by providing supports in any forms will greatly influence the mental health of the employees and increase their productivity.