Expectations of Mental Illness Disclosure Outcomes in the Work Context: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Dutch Workers

Abstract

Purpose The decision whether to disclose mental illness at work can have important positive and negative consequences for sustainable employment and well-being. The aim of the study is (1) to examine workers’ expectations of outcomes of mental illness disclosure in the workplace and to evaluate their expectations regarding which factors are of influence on these outcomes, (2) to identify distinct subgroups of workers, and (3) to characterize these subgroups in terms of personal, sociodemographic, and work-related characteristics. Methods In this cross-sectional survey study, a sample of 1224 Dutch workers was used. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was used to identify classes of workers based on expected workplace mental illness outcomes. A three-step approach LCA was chosen to investigate whether the classes differed in characteristics. Results The majority of workers expected predominantly positive outcomes of workplace mental illness disclosure (e.g., being able to be one’s authentic self; 82.4%), even though they simultaneously expected disclosure to lead to advancement-related discrimination (e.g., lower chances of contract renewal; or getting a promotion; 68.4% and 57%, respectively). Six distinct subgroups of workers were identified based on expected workplace mental illness disclosure outcomes: two positive classes (50.1%), two negative classes (33.3%), and two classes who indicated not to know what the outcomes would be (16.7%). Significant differences between the classes were found on personal experience, work-related association with mental illness, gender, educational level, and workplace atmosphere. Conclusion The disclosure process is complex, as most workers were optimistic (i.e., expected generally positive outcomes) whilst simultaneously expecting workplace discrimination. Subgroup differences in expectations regarding workplace mental illness disclosure outcomes were found.

Mental health issues and illness and substance use disorder (non-)disclosure to a supervisor: a cross-sectional study on beliefs, attitudes and needs of military personnel

“…These stigma-related concerns were significantly associated both with non-disclosure intentions and decisions. Stigma has been found to be a barrier to disclosure before, both in military, other trauma-prone occupations and civilian populations 5 6 16 33 34. When comparing the results of the current study to a study among Dutch civilian workers, it should be noted that of military personnel who had not disclosed, half reported seeing themselves as weak and being ashamed, compared with only 13.5% of civilians 18.…”

Analysis of Current Research in the Field of Sustainable Employment Based on Latent Dirichlet Allocation

“…This review highlights the urgent need to understand the long-term effects of stigma on employment and implement destigmatization interventions in the workplace. Van Beukering et al [48] explored Dutch workers' anticipated outcomes of disclosing mental illnesses in the workplace through a cross-sectional survey and found that, while most workers held an optimistic view of disclosure, they also anticipated potential discrimination, emphasizing the complexity and dual nature of mental health disclosure among workers to support sustainable employment. In supporting employees with chronic illnesses, Bosma [49], along with other researchers, explored the views of occupational physicians and organizational representatives on supporting employees with chronic diseases.…”

Dutch workers’ attitudes towards having a coworker with mental health issues or illness: a latent class analysis

“…Also, a recent study showed that 64% of Dutch line managers were reluctant to hire a job applicant with a mental health issue ( 6 ). In addition, 68.4% of Dutch workers expected that disclosure during a temporary contract would decrease the chance that a contract would be renewed, and 56.6% expected that disclosure would lead to a diminished chance to be promoted to a higher position in the future ( 7 ). MHI affect a large part of the population, almost half of the adults (48%) in Netherlands (18–75 years old) has ever had one or more mental illnesses ( 8 ).…”

“…In Netherlands, several studies have shown that a variety of workplace stakeholders tend to have negative attitudes towards people with MHI, such as HR managers, line managers and coworkers ( 1 , 6 , 7 , 19 , 20 ). However, research on this topic is very scarce in Netherlands, especially on attitudes of workers in non-managerial positions, who often make up a large part of the social work environment.…”