Sampling 16,426 Norwegian workers who responded to ads in online newspapers, a team lead by University of Bergen researcher Cecilie Schou Andreassen found that workaholics — or 7.8 percent of the sample — were much more likely to have ADHD (32.7 percent compared to 12.7 percent); obsessive-compulsive disorder (25.6 percent compared to 8.7 percent); anxiety (33.8 percent compared to 11.9 percent); and depression (8.9 percent compared to 2.6 percent) than non-workaholics.

The authors argue that the intriguing workaholism-ADHD link results from a couple factors. ADHD comes with impulsivity, and at work that turns into saying yes to everything and ending up with way too much on your plate. ADHD also speaks of hyperactivity, and the authors say work can be a way to “alleviate … restless thoughts and behavior.” ADHD may also lead to thinking that people think you’re incompetent, so you work extra-long hours to save face. And since ADHD means that it’s hard to regulate your attention, you might also work longer hours to make up for time lost to being sidetracked. The modern office exacerbates the distractedness: For the distraction-prone and open-office-trapped, it’s easier to stay focused when your lovely colleagues have finally gone home and signed off Slack.

Source: Science Explains Link Between Workaholism and ADHD — Science of Us