Mental Health Issues and Work

Skeptic

Skeptic

Skeptic

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
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4,158
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UK
Hi guys,

This is not a medical thread, but more of a discussion about the stigma around mental health issues. Maybe it should have gone into the SC but I thought I'd try here first. Mods, please move or delete if it's inappropriate.

I was having a discussion today with a friend who believes themselves to have some sort of mental health issue (it's anxiety, rather than schizophrenia/psychosis) and she is getting treatment for it (CBT, possibility of medicine in the future).

Do you think that receiving support for mental health issues will be considered in a negative fashion in future employment? If you had mental health concerns, would you declare them? I work in this area, so it's of considerable interest to me. I think that society is pretty good at helping those with a physical disability nowadays, but is mental health still considered a scary concept, and are those who have problems not fit for work?

Just an interesting topic for me, I guess.
 
Well when you fill out an application or some health questionnaire for a new job you are usually asked if you have any medical conditions.

If you don't and something comes up (as in your condition gets worse etc) it could get you sacked if it was found out that you knew about this when you started.

A girl where I work has something wrong with her arm, trapped nerve or something like that, she sometimes has trouble moving it.

now the position she has involves a lot of repetition and she often complains that her arm hurts and then is moved on to something else, usually doing nothing as all the jobs there are similar.

Her manager and myself over heard her telling someone she has had problems with it all her life and didn't put it on the application.

She is currently going through disciplinary and will probably be fired over it.
 
i have genralized anxiety disorder and panic disorder and included in my cv that i had it, but that it was under full control. It has never stoppped me getting work to be fair. Ill admit i do have more than average time off (maybe 8-9 days over a year) and have been pulled on it once. But when i explained myself they were pretty reasonable and we came to compromises. I think if you are employed knowing you have certain illnesses they have to give some kind of leeway (sp?), but obviously within reason. I would/have always declared my illnesses for jobs because if i am off for whatever reason then i have my back covered as they employed me knowing i had the illness.

As for problems and not fit for work i guess it depends entirely on which mental condidtion it is. I have been told i have very severe anxiety problems but i feel i can work and 99.9% of the time, im fine. I get panic attacks ever single day and can usually ignore them but if its a bad one, im allowed to leave and sort myself out without repercussions. I always make the time up but im not expected too.


edited several times coz i fail at grammar etc lol
 
Last edited:
fus said:
Do you think that receiving support for mental health issues will be considered in a negative fashion in future employment?
Click to expand...

I think it largely depends on the organisation. Some will be supportive and understanding, while in others mentioning a possible mental illness will make you about as popular as a sex offender. Let's face it while sexism and racism are frowned upon the general public get most of their information about mental illness from the tabloids and lazy TV news reports and retain a certain degree of underlying fear and repulsion regarding the topic.
 
There's two different bits to this thread really with regards to the OP.

In so much as declaring it, then you are not obliged to tell your employer about what medical treatment you may start receiving at any given time unless it, or any medication, precludes you from certain situations (e.g. medication that carries a warning about machinery, or being diagnosed with epilepsy).

Where you ARE obligated to declare it though is if you are asked about it on some manner of formal health questionairre. If it specifically asks you about treatment you are receiving, your mental health (past/present) etc, then you will usually find that lying can have serious repercussions on your job in the future if it ever comes out. In the same way, anything relating to insurance or similar requires full disclosure (or at the very least, discussion with the requesting party to see if they are happy with you omitting making a written record).

The debate about the acceptance of mental health conditions in the workplace is a different one, and much more open to discussion.
 
In order for the questions.

I think that mental health issues will still be considered negatively by a number of employers although some will of course be more understanding than others. That's not to say I think it is right, particularly when you consider that a significant number of people (~25% is one figure I've heard which is a large minority) will have mental health issues at some point during their lives. However it still has a stigma attached to it that other ailments do not.

If I had mental health concerns I suppose it would depend on precisely what they were whether I'd be inclined to disclose them. If I thought there was any potential they'd impact negatively on my work then I'd like to believe I would declare them. However it's not something I could say with certainty until or unless I'm in the situation.

Your last question is partially covered by my first answer, mental health issues are judged more harshly in many cases than physical ailments. I do think that the situation is getting better in terms of recognition and support but it's still not perfect.
 
Maybe I'm being paranoid but I reckon there is still considerable stigma attached to mental health in the work place. Where I work they have this "employee assistance hotline" which we're supposed to ring up to get confidential support and assistance for any mental health issues we may suffer from (amongst other things). Needless to say there is no chance at all of me calling them for that reason - I don't believe it will be confidential and think that somehow my employer will find out about it. It's not an easy subject to broach with colleagues but indications are that they think on similar lines to me.
 
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