New disabilities coming to the workplace include Hoarding, Binge Eating and Internet Addiction disorders

Newly recognized disabilities may be included in the protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA). These include including binge eating disorder, disruptive mood disregulation disorder or hoarding disorder.

Photo from TLC’s Obsessive Compulsive Hoarder: Britain

The American Psychiatric Association, DSM-5 revised the classifications and criteria of mental disorders for the first time since 1994 to “reflect nearly two decades of scientific advances and clinical experience.”

Nicknamed the psychiatrists’ “Bible,” the DSM-5 was revealed in May, but the pressure on the ADAAA has only begun with pressure on human resource departments around the country to announcement proactive recognition and accommodations for these “new” disorders ahead of potential lawsuits.

Chicago attorney Douglas Hass noted in interview and his published article on the topic that the manual was given “almost unquestioning deference” by the courts in employment cases.

The American Psychiatric Association noted some new conditions with skepticism, suggesting more research is needed before considered formal disorders in the main book. These conditions include suicidal behavioral disorder, non-suicidal self-injury, apathy disorder and Internet addiction disorder.

While the impact will be felt mostly by doctors and mental health professionals, Hass also was troubled by how a new social communication disorder might be used in an employment law case. Prior to DSM-5, an employer could fire a sales clerk at a department store for not interacting well with customers, he said. Now, he hypothesized, employers may have to consider reasonably accommodating a clerk with social communication disorder, such as by reassigning him to a vacant position that does not require interaction with the public.

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