{ "abstract": "Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with various traits that influence individuals’ experiences at work. While some may be experienced as challenging (e.g., when differences in executive function impact time management), others can be more positive (e.g., when curiosity motivates exploration and discovery). Plausibly, academia is a work environment where these positive aspects should be valued. However, ADHD is still often viewed from a medicalised perspective in workplace settings, despite the neurodiversity paradigm offering an alternative, non-pathologising way to frame these individual differences. Research has begun to explore employment experiences and outcomes for adults with ADHD; however, there is currently little data relevant to academic workplaces specifically. This qualitative study offers a critical realist analysis of interviews with early-career academics, seeking to understand first-person ADHD perspectives on establishing an academic career. Consistent with the neurodiversity paradigm, the analysis foregrounds (mis-)matches between individual ‘neurotypes’ and workplace environments. It also highlights an ecological view by exploring how ADHD matters both for individual careers and for collective knowledge production. Findings suggest that academia can, in principle, be a rewarding environment for ADHDers, though social and institutional pressures often inhibit this potential. Furthermore, having an ‘ADHD neurotype’ influences both individual career trajectories and wellbeing at work; at the same time, knowledge production at the collective level may benefit from the inclusion of ADHD academics. The findings are discussed in reference to ecological models of neurodiversity and their implications for universities aiming to facilitate neurodivergent contributions and inclusion at work.", "abstract_shown": true, "affiliations": [ "School of Education, Language and Psychology, York St John University, York, United Kingdom.", "Section of Pediatric Population Science, Outcomes, and Disparities Research, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America.", "Psychosis Studies Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, United Kingdom.", "Department of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.", "Department of Psychology and Vision Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.", "Centre for Interaction, Development, and Diversity, School of Psychology, Sport and Health Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom.", "Cognition, Values & Behaviour Lab, Munich Interactive Intelligence Initiative, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany." ], "article_type": "Research Article", "arxiv": null, "author_total": 5, "authors": [ { "affs": [ 0 ], "name": "Lorna G Hamilton", "orcid": "0000-0003-0526-8252" }, { "affs": [ 1, 2 ], "name": "Anusha V Ramji", "orcid": "0009-0008-8317-073X" }, { "affs": [ 3, 4 ], "name": "Mahmoud Elsherif" }, { "affs": [ 5 ], "name": "Steven K Kapp", "orcid": "0000-0002-4440-1688" }, { "affs": [ 6 ], "name": "Justin Sulik", "orcid": "0000-0002-0978-9496" } ], "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/89deksa0c87fn.bib", "cited_by": 0, "doi": "10.1371/journal.pone.0361208", "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13718954", "id": "89deksa0c87fn", "issns": [ "1932-6203" ], "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0361208", "language": "eng", "licence": "CC-BY", "licence_label": "CC BY", "licence_source": "article", "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "metadata_licence": null, "native_subjects": [ [ "heading", "Adhd" ], [ "heading", "Anxiety" ], [ "heading", "Biology and Life Sciences" ], [ "heading", "Careers" ], [ "heading", "Careers in Research" ], [ "heading", "Developmental Neuroscience" ], [ "heading", "Economics" ], [ "heading", "Emotions" ], [ "heading", "Employment" ], [ "heading", "Labor Economics" ], [ "heading", "Medical Conditions" ], [ "heading", "Medicine and Health Sciences" ], [ "heading", "Mental Health and Psychiatry" ], [ "heading", "Neurodevelopmental Disorders" ], [ "heading", "Neurology" ], [ "heading", "Neuropsychiatric Disorders" ], [ "heading", "Neuroscience" ], [ "heading", "Psychological Stress" ], [ "heading", "Psychology" ], [ "heading", "Qualitative Studies" ], [ "heading", "Research Article" ], [ "heading", "Research Design" ], [ "heading", "Research and Analysis Methods" ], [ "heading", "Science Policy" ], [ "heading", "Science and Technology Workforce" ], [ "heading", "Social Sciences" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Neuroscience/Developmental neuroscience/Neurodevelopmental disorders/ADHD" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Psychology/Emotions/Anxiety" ], [ "plos", "/Biology and life sciences/Psychology/Psychological stress" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Medical conditions/Neurodevelopmental disorders/ADHD" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Mental health and psychiatry" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Mental health and psychiatry/Neuropsychiatric disorders/ADHD" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Mental health and psychiatry/Psychological stress" ], [ "plos", "/Medicine and health sciences/Neurology/Neurodevelopmental disorders/ADHD" ], [ "plos", "/Research and analysis methods/Research design/Qualitative studies" ], [ "plos", "/Science policy/Science and technology workforce/Careers in research" ], [ "plos", "/Social sciences/Economics/Labor economics/Employment" ], [ "plos", "/Social sciences/Economics/Labor economics/Employment/Careers" ], [ "plos", "/Social sciences/Psychology/Emotions/Anxiety" ], [ "plos", "/Social sciences/Psychology/Psychological stress" ] ], "openalex": null, "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13718954?pdf=render", "pmcid": "PMC13718954", "pmid": "42955927", "published": "2026-10-29", "publisher": "Public Library of Science", "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/89deksa0c87fn.ris", "sources": [ { "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:17Z", "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pone.0361208", "source": "plos", "url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0361208" }, { "first_seen": "2026-11-01T00:20:36Z", "native_id": "MED:42955927", "source": "europepmc", "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42955927" }, { "first_seen": "2026-11-02T12:22:53Z", "native_id": "PMC13718954", "source": "pmc", "url": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0361208" } ], "subjects": [ { "field": "biology", "origin": "heading:Neuroscience", "subfield": "neuroscience" }, { "field": "medicine", "origin": "heading:Neurology", "subfield": "neurology" }, { "field": "medicine", "origin": "plos:mental health and psychiatry", "subfield": "psychiatry" } ], "title": "“The significance of context”: Fit, friction, and function in the work lives of early career academics with ADHD", "title_text": "“The significance of context”: Fit, friction, and function in the work lives of early career academics with ADHD", "type": "peer-reviewed", "updated_at": "2026-11-02T12:22:53Z", "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/89deksa0c87fn", "venue": "PLOS One", "versions": [] }