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Mental Illness: Research Unveils Employers Concerns

In the workplace, attitudes toward mental health and mental illness make a big difference for all employees but especially for those experiencing mental health issues. British scientists of the Oxford University have analysed which concerns make employers not to engage applicants with mental problems. Obviously these concerns are widely spread: A survey and found out, that there is evidence that people with mental health problems are being turned down for a job because of their mental health problem or stopping themselves from looking for work because they anticipate discrimination.

In the survey with 502 participants the following concerns were reported about hiring applicants with a mental health problem:

• symptom concerns such as threat to safety of other employees or clients (17%),
• person would be incapable of handling stress (14%) and
• strange or unpredictable behaviour (11%),
• work performance concerns, particularly impaired job performance (20%),
• work personality concerns, particularly absenteeism (29%),
• administrative concerns including level of monitoring needed (7%) and
• negative attitude of other employees (2%).

Moreover, there seems to be proof that disclosure of a mental health problem in the workplace can also lead to discriminatory behaviours from managers and colleagues to the point of social exclusion.

According to the scientists the level of stigmatisation is dependent on the following three factors: 

• knowledge (ignorance or misinformation), 
• attitudes (prejudice) and 
• behaviour (discrimination)

The scientists come to the conclusion that there are four assumptions underlying workplace stigma: (1) people with mental health problems lack the competence to meet the demands of work, (2) people with mental health problems are dangerous or unpredictable in the workplace, (3) working is not healthy for people with a mental health problem and (4) providing employment for people with mental illness is an act of charity.

These assumptions vary in their salience and intensity based on a range of organizational, individual and societal factors.

Source: http://occmed.oxfordjournals.org/content/60/6/414.full