Personality testing and the Americans With Disabilities Act: An applicant/employee perspective

Abstract

and Carter (2019) raise an interesting point from a selection perspective: What are the implications for organizations regarding personality testing and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990, 2008) concerning maladaptive personality traits and personality disorders? In this commentary, we draw attention to another relevant perspective-that of applicants and employees with maladaptive personality traits in the form of personality disorders. Indeed, estimates suggest that approximately 15% (∼30.8 million) of adult Americans have at least one personality disorder (Grant et al., 2004). In the current commentary, we discuss three main aspects of personality disorders from an applicant and/or employee perspective: (a) the classification of personality disorders as disabilities, (b) work accommodations for personality disorders, and (c) the disclosure of personality disorders in the workplace, specifically in the context of personality disorders as an invisible identity/disability. The classification of personality disorders as disabilities in the context of work Some of the first questions inspired by the focal article were simply (a) whether or not personality disorders would classify as disabilities under the ADA (1990, 2008), and (b) how this relates specifically to Title I of the ADA (1990, 2008; equal employment opportunity for individuals with disabilities) regarding these individuals' abilities to perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodations. Our first point presents a potential dilemma, as the ADA (1990, 2008) does not constitute which specific medical conditions should be classified as disabilities but rather lists conditions that must be met to classify one as an individual with a disability. We agree with Melson-Silimon et al. (2019) that personality disorders likely meet the requirements of disability class membership according to the ADA (1990, 2008): personality disorders likely result in some physical or mental impairment that "substantially limits one or more major life activities" (ADA, 1990, 2008). For instance, an individual with borderline personality disorder may exhibit frequent mood changes, impulsivity, hostility toward others, and periods of depressivity (DSM-V). Thus, these symptoms could easily impact major life activities outlined by the ADA (1990, 2008), including caring for oneself, concentrating, and, most relevant to the current commentary, working. Notably, the alternative model of personality disorders (AMPD) included in Section III of the DSM-5 (APA, 2013), reviewed by Melson-Silimon and colleagues, explicitly includes personality functioning/impairment within this diagnostic model. The AMPD includes a requirement for moderate or greater impairment in personality functioning in two of the four areas: identity, self-direction, empathy, and intimacy (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Title I of the ADA (1990, 2008) focuses on equal employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities and applies to both applicants and employees with a d...