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The Briefing
- Prevalence of ADHD, substance use disorders, and mood disorders appears to be higher in entrepreneurs than in the general public
- One-third of entrepreneurs reported two or more co-occurring mental health conditions
The Link Between Entrepreneurship and Mental Health Conditions
Entrepreneurship has long been associated with traits like risk-taking, persistence, and creativity. It’s no surprise, then, many of the world’s most successful companies were brought to life by neurodivergent founders.
Neurodivergence refers to natural differences in brain function among individuals with conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and bipolar disorder. As this 2019 study demonstrates, entrepreneurs experience mental health and addiction issues more frequently than the general public, and tend to have families with these illnesses at a higher rate.
Nearly half of entrepreneurs included in the study have one or more mental health conditions. Below the are the numbers for four of the conditions studied.
| Entrepreneurs | General Sample Group | |
|---|---|---|
| ADHD | 29% | 5% |
| Depression | 30% | 15% |
| Bipolar | 11% | 1% |
| Addiction | 12% | 4% |
The research also looked at anxiety, but found that levels were similar between (Read more...)