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May is mental health awareness month and we can’t avoid talking about disclosing mental health problems to your employer. Mental health issues are touchy and sensitive at the very least. As much as the ideal situation is having a sound mind going to work, we have little control over what life throws at us.
Mental health issues at work will always come up because people are not only affected by work but also by personal issues. It’s widely known and recommended that the first step towards solving issues surrounding mental health is talking about them. But what if the person you need to speak to is your employer? How safe is that decision? What possible consequences could follow that kind of decision?
Disclosing mental health problems to your employer poses a lot of risks and could force you to remain silent. One of the most significant risks that you could face is losing your job which is your source of income. Secondly, there is the fear of your boss exposing you to other people at the workplace and having people start to avoid you or talk behind your back. Additionally, your supervisor could start treating you differently.
However, in this piece, we want to weigh the decision and examine the pros and cons of disclosing mental health problems to your employer. It’s not all doom and gloom.
Mental health literacy
The first step toward speaking out is being aware of your situation. Revealing a mental health issue is daunting because it’s hard to accept. In a society where there is a lot of stigma and misconceptions about mental health, victims of mental health illnesses are plagued by fear. Some of the misconceptions that fly around in our society about having mental illnesses are that you’re cursed or have been bewitched.
Though few studies have been published about the state of mental health in Kenya, the prevalent research that has been done proves that mental health issues account for a bigger disease burden than HIV.
“Using data from the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study, for example in Kenya, Mental Neurological and Substance (MNS) disorders account for 16 percent of the burden of disease, more than HIV, which accounts for 15 percent,” writes Ana-Claire and David Ndetei in a paper titled “Providing Sustainable Mental Health Care in Kenya: A Demonstration Project”.
The study further revealed that among mental disorders, depression accounts for the highest burden of disease.
Before you disclose mental health problems to your employer, you should first be very well educated and aware of what mental health is. You don’t go to your boss with hearsay or assumptions; otherwise, they’ll take it that you’re looking for a reason for special treatment.
What is mental health literacy?
Australian researcher Anthony Jorm defined it as knowledge and belief about mental disorders which aid their recognition, management, and prevention. He developed this concept so that he can provide knowledge to the public and address wrong attitudes toward mental illness.
Good mental health literacy helps you to be aware of your condition, triggers, causes, prevention, intervention, and self-medication. Jorm writes that good mental health literacy levels should enable recognition of specific disorders and help in building knowledge in causes and risk factors, self-treatments, and positive attitudes.
You’ll then use this information to disclose mental health problems to your employer. Educate them and encourage conversations with them about mental health. You could become a mental health champion at your workplace having experienced it firsthand.
Get to know the attitudes and beliefs that they have towards mental illness. Counter myths and misconceptions with accurate information. Basically, start bringing mental health literacy to your office. It may have a ripple effect on the rest of the workplace. There might be other colleagues who suffer in silence from depression, nervous breakdowns, panic attacks and anxiety. They’re afraid to come forward with their truth for fear of stigma or facing the sack.
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How do you go about disclosing your mental health problems to your employer?
If you have made the hard decision to inform your boss that you’re going through a mental health issue, ensure that you get professional help first. Visit a therapist and let them diagnose you. A mental health expert is important because there is a lot of false information flying around, especially online. You might google some of your symptoms and get a misdiagnosis. This will further complicate matters for you and the people around you.
When a psychologist gives you an accurate assessment, they will prescribe treatment and medication, this may include taking additional therapy sessions. You’ll then use this documented information as evidence so that you can affirm the credibility of your information.
Think about it like a boss. Place yourself in the shoes of your employer. An employee approaches you and says that they’re experiencing a mental health issue or illness. The first thing you’ll ask them will be how sure are you that you’re not making things up? If they inform you that they’ve been diagnosed by a professional mental health expert, you’ll sympathize and look for ways to support them.
Secondly, don’t pressure yourself to disclose if you’re not ready. Be patient with yourself and be absolutely sure that it will do more good than harm when you disclose this information to your employer. If you’re new to a company or a job, you need to weigh your options. Deborah Riegel who had to talk to her boss about having obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) advises in the Havard Business Review that if you feel you have more to lose than to gain by revealing this conversation, don’t go ahead with it.
Know what you will reveal and what you’ll keep concealed. Your manager will definitely ask you questions and you should fully expect them. However, if you feel that some questions are crossing the line, just inform them that you’re not comfortable sharing that.
How to tell if your employer cares about mental health
For instance, they might ask you the kind of support you’d need. Tell them exactly what you need. For example, “Some of my medication usually has bad side effects like headaches and nausea. Kindly allow me to excuse myself from meetings when this happens.”
Approach your human resource manager and find out if they offer support for mental health such as health insurance that covers psychological treatment. Do they have quiet workspaces which can be a refuge for you? Are you entitled to leave based on mental health reasons and so much more.
Advantages of disclosing your mental health problems to your employer
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Research confirms that you become happier when you talk about your mental health disorders in your workplace. You feel more satisfied and as a consequence, your productivity increases.
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Opening up opens the door for others to share their struggles. A safe, inclusive, trusting space is created at the workplace for everyone.
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You eliminate the stigma around mental health disorders and you encourage a healthy, tolerant, non-judgmental work environment.
Conclusion
It’s not an easy conversation but it’s necessary. Too many people are suffering in silence and the wounds only become more septic as time goes on. Be open to the possibility that your employer might dismiss and make light of your mental challenges. That should be a clear tell-tale sign that it’s a toxic workplace. No job is worth losing your sanity over. Look for other opportunities in organizations that will handle your issues with the sensitivity and fragility they deserve.
Secondly, furnish yourself with the mental health policy in your country so that you might know your rights as a worker as far as mental health is concerned. For example, should your boss fire you for revealing a mental health challenge, would you have legal recourse?