Mental Health and the Work Force

From the UK’s Guardian, by Jenny Little:

Any thoughts on this concern in the USA?

One in five people who admit to their employer that they have a mental health problem has been fired or pushed out of their job, according to recent research from mental health charity Mind. Almost 80% of workplaces have no formal mental health policy, says the Shaw Trust, a disability charity.

Yet, a quarter of all people will experience mental ill health each year, and one out of six in the workplace is experiencing the problem at any one time, be it depression, anxiety or conditions such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

“All employees are constantly moving up and down the mental health spectrum,” says Emma Mamo, Mind’s policy and campaigns manager. “We launched our Taking Care of Business campaign last year to talk about the elephant in the room – mental health. The impetus must be put on employers to create mentally healthy workplaces where people can speak out if they are having a problem.”

Campaigns such as this, and Time to Change, the anti-stigma initiative backed by charities Rethink and Mind and supported by high-profile figures including Stephen Fry, Ruby Wax and Alastair Campbell, are attempting to demystify mental health. Practical suggestions include offering training to managers to spot early signs of depression in staff, as well as developing recovery plans so bosses can offer proper support.

But many people still suffer in silence for fear of damaging their career progression or losing their job. And some work cultures still nurture negative attitudes towards mental illness, making it much harder to disclose a problem.