Disclosure of Mental Illness in the Workplace: A Literature Review

Effect on return to work or education of Individual Placement and Support modified for people with mood and anxiety disorders: results of a randomised clinical trial

“…This may indicate that disclosure has not been a priority in Sherpa, resulting in practically no participants in IPS-MA choosing to disclose, a fact that may have hindered sufficient workplace support. The lack of disclosure is surprising since a literature review36 found rates of disclosure between 35% and 87%, people with mood disorders significantly less likely to disclose than people with severe mental illness36 though, indicating that they could be more vulnerable relative to disclosure and may have an increased need for support in this matter. Disclosure is a process, and feasible tools have been developed to assist people considering disclosure in an employment setting 37.…”

Mental health disclosure amongst clinical psychologists in training: Perfectionism and pragmatism

“…Factors that have been associated with mental health disclosure include type of MHP (Brohan et al, 2012;Jones, 2011), anticipated stigma (Rüsch, Brohan, Gabbidon, Thornicroft, & Clement, 2014;Time to Change, 2008), level of trust and emotional rapport with the potential recipient (Ignatius & Kokkonen, 2007), and whether the problem is current or historical (Bushnell et al, 2005). Generally, people are more likely to disclose bipolar disorder or schizophrenia than anxiety or personality disorders (Bos, Kanner, Muris, Janssen, & Mayer, 2009), and in the workplace, they are more likely to disclose schizophrenia than a mood disorder (Brohan et al, 2012).…”

Formal plan for self‐disclosure enhances supported employment outcomes among young people with severe mental illness

“…19 Another risk of non-disclosure is forced disclosure when the employee suddenly becomes unwell and needs to explain their absence from the workplace. 8,12 On the contrary, the benefits of planned disclosure can include improved psychological well-being, improved interpersonal relationships and greater access to workplace accommodations when these are needed. 12 Relationships with employers can also strengthen by avoiding secrecy 8 and by allowing employers to get to know the worker as a person, and at the same time, they both learn how the worker's health conditions can be managed to optimize work performance.…”