Management Strategies May Fight Mental Health Stigma

Amy Taylor January 28, 2015

40 per cent of workers would not tell their managers that they have a mental health problem. However, approximately half of those surveyed report they would help a co-worker if the worker has a mental health concern, new research reveals.

The survey, carried out by a team of researchers from Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Canada, and led by Senior Scientist Dr Carolyn Dewa, found that workers have both negative and supportive attitudes about mental health in the workplace.

“A significant number of working people have mental health problems, or have taken a disability leave related to mental health,” said Dewa. Annually, almost three percent of workers are on a short-term disability leave related to mental illness.

In the survey of 2,219 working adults in Ontario, two key questions were asked: First, would you inform your manager if you had a mental health problem? And second, if a colleague had a mental health problem, would you be concerned about how work would be affected?

Among the 38 per cent who would not tell their manager, more than half were afraid that it would affect their careers. Other reasons for not disclosing were the bad experiences of others who came forward, fear of losing friends, or a combination of these reasons. Three in 10 people said they wouldn’t tell because it wouldn’t affect their work.

For some, a positive relationship with their supervisor was the primary factor that encouraged workers to tell the manager about their mental health problem. Supportive organizational policies were another factor influencing the decision to come forward, which was cited by half of those who would disclose.

Findings in the current survey show that work colleagues are concerned that a co-workers’ mental health issue may lead to a dangerous work environment.

When asked if they’d be concerned if a worker had a mental illness, 64 percent said yes. More than four in 10 also indicated concerns about both reliability and safety.

Without disclosing, it may be difficult to get treatment, as work absences for counselling sessions or appointments need to be accounted for, she notes.

For organizations that want to address the issue of stigma around mental illness, Dewa said a number of elements need to be in place, including their policies and procedures, as well as facilitating positive relationships among managers and co-workers.

She also believes that having a positive example of supporting someone with a mental health problem is also helpful.

Source of this article: Management Strategies Reduce Mental Health Stigma