Mental illness can affect anyone from any background or walk of life. A recent survey by SANE Australia reports that up to 75 per cent of people who have a mental illness experience stigma and, of these, 16 per cent reported stigma in the workplace. Stigma is most commonly expressed through the use of demeaning comments or behaviour as a result of false beliefs. Under the Disability Discrimination Act this type of discrimination is illegal and should not be tolerated.
Employers and employees alike will benefit from breaking down the stigma attached to mental illness in the workplace. Removing the barriers to education, open discussion, flexibility and acceptance will ultimately allow those needing support to seek and receive it.
What is stigma?
If an employee announces at work that they need time off for cancer treatment they are undoubtedly shown sympathy and support. If this same person asks for time off to deal with a mental illness, they risk rejection, humiliation, and possibly even the loss of their job. People with a mental illness face the highest degree of stigmatisation in the workplace and the greatest barriers to employment opportunities.
Stigma about mental illness creates a climate in which someone who has a problem or needs help may not seek help for fear of being labelled. Many employers and employees hold false beliefs and fears about people who have a mental illness, assuming that they are likely to be unproductive, unreliable, violent or unable to handle workplace pressures. Such beliefs are false, unwarranted and are examples of stigmatisation.
Stigma about mental illness often emerges in the language used to describe people, events and attitudes. Too often people incorrectly label ‘mental illness’ as the cause of a wrongdoing, an act of violence, or unusual behaviour.
In the workplace, people who have a mental illness may not be given the same access to work opportunities or promotions, as other staff members. Awareness of this possibility should be addressed within the workplace and policy implemented to eliminate discrimination. Ideally, this will be addressed by your manager, but you or a supportive co-worker may need to raise its consideration.
Dealing with stigma
How you deal with stigma in your workplace will depend on the circumstances and resources at hand. Ideally, your organisation will be aware of the Disability Discrimination Act, will not tolerate workplace stigma, and will respond with disciplinary action to any reports of it. However, your workplace may not have this level of awareness, and may need to be educated about mental illness and stigma. Here are a few suggestions, if you are experiencing stigma:
- Keep a written record of incidents when they occur, with dates, times, and locations, and names of witnesses.
- Contact the Mental Health Legal Service for free legal advice—See Related Links.
- Report your experience to a trusted senior staff member, and keep a written record of this email, or conversation.
- If you have disclosed your illness to your employer, they are likely to be more responsive to stigma
- Talk to a trusted colleague. This might be your manager, staff from human resources, your employment support worker, family member or your doctor. They may be able too assist you in developing ways to best address with this situation.
- JobAccess fact sheets can be printed out and distributed to co-workers by yourself or your employer.
A healthy workplace does not tolerate stigma and implements education programs about mental illness, and disciplinary strategies to prevent it.
References
SANE Australia, SANE Research Bulletin 4: Stigma and Mental Illness, Sane Australia, viewed January 2007, <http://www.sane.org/information/information/research.html>.