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Mental Health: It's Part of Our Lives at
Work
SAMHSA ADS Center
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This fact sheet is designed to help people in the workplace who
have a mental illness. If you are employed and have a mental illness,
you are not alone. According to the Wall Street Journal, one in
five people in a typical U.S. office is likely to experience a mental
illness each year. The onset of many mental health disorders comes
between the ages of 25 and 40, when people are highly active in
the workforce.
Work and Recovery
Experts increasingly acknowledge that work is a key factor in supporting
mental wellness and warding off the symptoms of mental illness.
In a study of professionals (lawyers, engineers, physicians, managers
and others) with severe and persistent mental illnesses, it was
reported that work provided a distraction from the symptoms of their
illnesses and contributed to better mental health.
Work is also an important path to recovery from a mental illness.
Contrary to some of the myths associated with mental illnesses,
people can and do recover from even the most serious mental illnesses.
In fact, the treatment success rate for each mental illness (separately,
and including schizophrenia) is higher than it is for heart disease
alone.
Over the last decade, the role of employment in fostering or hindering
mental health has been increasingly acknowledged, and many employers
are actively promoting mental health in the workplace. According
to a report by the International Labour Organization, in the United
States an estimated 40 percent to 60 percent of workplaces with
more than 50 employees provide some kind of mental health program,
including stress management programs. Employers who promote mental
health by eliminating or cutting down on sources of stress through
such methods as improving physical working conditions; creating
more flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, job rotation
and flexible hours; and allowing employees more input into corporate
planning and decisionmaking, can expect to reap benefits in reduced
absences and increased productivity.
Disclosure
Whether or not to reveal to your employer that you have a mental
illness is a very personal decision. The decision to disclose that
you have a mental illness is complicated by the stereotypes and
stigma that are still associated with mental illnesses because of
misinformation and lack of information.
There are some potential risks and benefits of disclosure. If you
decide to reveal the fact that you have a psychiatric diagnosis
(possibly because you need an accommodation), here are tips that
may relieve your anxiety and accomplish your goal of educating your
employer:
Provide the facts. Many national mental health
advocacy organizations (such as the National
Mental Health Association and National
Alliance on Mental Illness [NAMI]) and their local
chapters provide fact sheets and information on specific illnesses,
illustrating that recovery is truly possibly no matter what diagnosis
you have.
Demonstrate your success in the workplace. A
mental illness, like a physical illness, is just a part of who you
are. Remind your employer of the reasons why you were hired in the
first place—and why you are still a valuable employee.
Provide some suggestions and/or solutions. If
your mental illness has the potential to affect your job performance,
provide an explanation to ease your employer’s concerns. You
might say, "I tend to get anxious when there’s a lot
of noise or when there are people hanging around my desk, but I
find that a short walk gets me re-focused." Let your employer
know if you will need an accommodation. Most accommodations requested
can be beneficial to you and your employer by enhancing your productivity.
(Note: According to the Americans with Disabilities Act [ADA], which
applies to many public employers and to private employers with more
than 15 employees, accommodations must be provided, but only if
the accommodation does not present an undue burden on the employer,
such as excessive financial and administrative responsibility.)
Leave the door open for discussion. If your employer
has questions about your illness or other information you have shared,
make it clear that you may be willing to provide more information.
By law, your employer must respect your right to confidentiality.
Many have suggested that it may be best for an employee to wait
to disclose until he or she must formally request an accommodation
from his or her employer. It may also be possible to request an
accommodation without characterizing it as disability-related. Employees
should familiarize themselves with their employers’ policies
and especially with past practices regarding maternity leave, disability
leave, sabbaticals, leave without pay, medical leave, leave for
purposes of military service, jury duty, etc. It is very helpful
if an employee can make a connection between the accommodation he
or she is requesting and an accommodation made for another employee.
Seeking Assistance
Recognizing, and seeking assistance for, a mental health problem
within the context of work can be daunting. Well-known entrepreneur
and philanthropist J.B. Fuqua once expressed his fear that if people
knew of his mental illness it might adversely affect his business
or personal relationships. Other prominent business leaders, such
as CNN’s former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tom Johnson,
have voiced the same concern.
While the decision to disclose your illness is your decision, don’t
let it hold you back from locating the resources to overcome it.
You may be able to find assistance through your company’s
health plan or Employee Assistance Plan. If your company has neither,
contact your local mental health association or your local United
Way.
Resources
For more information about the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA), contact:
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission www.eeoc.gov
Job Accommodation Network http://www.jan.wvu.edu/links/adalinks.htm
Department of Justice http://www.usdoj.gov
Free teleconference training on this topic is available at http://www.stopstigma.samhsa.gov/archtel.htm.
To download complete presentations and listen to the audio recordings,
scroll to Self-disclosure: The Public and Personal Effects of Revealing
Mental Health Problems.
This fact sheet is intended only as a very brief introduction to
this complex subject. Articles, fact sheets, resource organizations,
and other materials on this topic are available at Web site http://stopstigma.samhsa.gov/topics_materials/employment.htm
For more information about how to address discrimination and stigma,
contact the SAMHSA Resource Center to Address Discrimination and
Stigma (ADS Center) http://stopstigma.samhsa.gov,
e-mail stopstigma@samhsa.hhs.gov
or call 800-540-0320, a program of the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration,
Center for Mental Health Services.
By Post:
ADS Center
11420 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
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