scholarly journals Workers' Decisions to Disclose a Mental Health Issue to Managers and the Consequences

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn S. Dewa ◽  
Jaap van Weeghel ◽  
Margot C. W. Joosen ◽  
Petra C. Gronholm ◽  
Evelien P. M. Brouwers

Background: Stigma can be a barrier to accessing effective interventions and work accommodations for mental illnesses. Fear of stigma's concomitant prejudice and discrimination can inhibit workers from asking for help. Thus, it may be important to develop effective interventions addressing workplace stigma. To identify important targets for these interventions, this study addresses three questions: (1) what proportion of workers experiencing mental health issues disclosed their mental health issue to their managers, (2) what factors did they identify as contributing to their disclosure decisions, and (3) what were the consequences of their decisions?Methods: The dataset is comprised of responses from respondents who were randomly drawn from a nationally representative sample of working Dutch adults who completed a web-based survey in February 2018. Respondents indicating they either had or have mental health issues were asked three sets of questions focusing on: (1) Did you disclose your mental health issue to you manager? (2) For what reasons did you disclose/not disclose the issue? (3) What were the consequences of your disclosure decision?Results: About 73% of respondents with lived experience with mental health issues told their managers about their mental health issue. The structure of the survey questions identified four groups of workers who either: (1) disclosed and had a positive experience (64.2%), (2) disclosed and had a negative experience (9.0%), (3) did not disclose and had a positive experience (22.6%), or (4) did not disclose and had a negative experience (4.2%).Conclusion: Our results reflect workers' diverse preferences for disclosing their mental health issues to their managers. Understanding both the factors that contributed to the decision to disclose and the consequences of disclosure decisions could help to better target workplace educational programs and interventions to address workplace stigma. Our findings suggest that addressing workplace stigma may not be as straightforward as requiring all employees to receive anti-stigma education. Rather, education should support workers to make the appropriate disclosure decision based on their workplace contexts. Future research is needed to understand the optimal ways for workers struggling with mental health issues to ask and receive help if they need it.

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (11) ◽  
pp. 872-883
Author(s):  
Nur Irene Siswandari ◽  
Rara Warih Gayatri ◽  
Windi Chusniah Rachmawati

Abstract: The instagram platform is one of the most used social media by adolescents nowadays. The number of active Instagram users is also followed by several side effects such as addiction to cyber bullying. In this case, it certainly raises questions regarding the correlation between the use of Instagram platform and mental health issues in adolescents. Thus, this study aims to see whether there is a correlation between the use of Instagram platform and mental health issues in adolescents. The literature search used two database, Google Scholar and Springelink with eleven keywords including “mental health”, “use of instagram”, “adolescent”, “teenager”, “juvenile”, “kesehatan mental”, “penggunaan Instagram”, “Instagram”, “remaja”, “pemuda”, and “taruna”. There were 1253 articles found and selected using Prisma. The assessment of the quality of articles used Strobe checklist and assessment tool Risk of Bias Instrument for Cross-Sectional Surveys of Attitudes And Practices. The result of the assessment was that there were fourteen articles could be reviewed. The findings of this study show that there was no correlation between the use of Instagram platform and mental health issue in adolescents. However, the use of a problematic Instagram platform had a correlation with the mental health issue in adolescents. The correlation between the two could be in the form of direct relationship and indirect relationship. Abstrak: Platform Instagram merupakan salah satu sosial media yang paling banyak digunakan oleh remaja saat ini. Banyaknya pengguna Instagram yang aktif juga diikuti oleh beberapa efek samping, seperti kecanduan hingga perilaku cyber bullying yang marak terjadi. Hal ini tentu menimbulkan pertanyaan mengenai hubungan penggunaan platform Instagram dengan masalah kesehatan mental pada remaja. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat apakah terdapat hubungan antara penggunaan platform Instagram dengan masalah kesehatan mental pada remaja. Sementara pencarian literatur menggunakan dua database, yaitu Google Scholar dan Springerlink dengan menggunakan sebelas kata kunci yang meliputi “mental health”, “use of instagram”, “adolescent”, “teenager”, “juvenile”, “kesehatan mental”, “penggunaan Instagram”, “Instagram”, “remaja”, “pemuda”, dan “taruna”. Terdapat 1253 artikel yang ditemukan dan diseleksi menggunakan diagram PRISMA. Penilaian kualitas artikel menggunakan checklist Strobe dan assessment tool Risk of Bias Instrument for Cross-Sectional Surveys of Attitudes and Practices. Hingga akhirnya terdapat empat belas artikel yang ditinjau. Hasil dari studi ini menunjukkan bahwa tidak ada hubungan antara penggunaan platform Instagram oleh remaja pada masalah kesehatan mental. Namun, penggunaan platform Instagram yang bermasalah (Problematic Instagram Use) memiliki hubungan dengan masalah kesehatan mental pada remaja. Hubungan antara keduanya dapat berupa hubungan langsung dan hubungan tak langsung.


Author(s):  
Carolyn S Dewa ◽  
Jaap Van Weeghel ◽  
Margot CW Joosen ◽  
Evelien PM Brouwers

Background: Stigma can be a barrier for workers experiencing a mental illness to access accommodations at work. However, work accommodations may be necessary to maintain a worker's ability to work. Therefore, it may be important to develop effective interventions to address workplace stigma. Objective: To determine (1) what proportion of workers would probably disclose their mental health issue to their manager, (2) what are the motivating factors for the decision of whether or not to disclose, and (3) what would potentially change the disclosure decision? Methods: A link to a Web-based questionnaire was sent to a nationally representative sample of 1671 Dutch adults over 18 years of age. The response rate was 74%. We focused on the 892 respondents who indicated they were either employed for pay or looking for employment, not in management positions, and never experienced a mental health issue. This group comprised 73% of the total sample. They were asked if they would disclose their mental health issue to their manager. For what reasons would they disclose/not disclose the issue? And, what could change their decision? Results: We found that almost 75% of workers would disclose to their managers. The perceived relationship with their managers and feelings of responsibility to their workplaces were important contributors to the decision. A large minority of workers would not tell, preferring to deal with their issues alone. In addition, a significant proportion of workers would choose not to disclose fearing negative consequences. Conclusion: Our results indicate that the majority of these Dutch workers would disclose a mental health issue to their managers. The relationship with the manager plays a central role. The advice from a trusted individual and the experiences of colleagues are also significant factors in the disclosure decision.


Author(s):  
Elizabeth M. Waldron ◽  
Inger Burnett-Zeigler ◽  
Victoria Wee ◽  
Yiukee Warren Ng ◽  
Linda J. Koenig ◽  
...  

Women living with HIV (WLWH) experience depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms at higher rates than their male counterparts and more often than HIV-unaffected women. These mental health issues affect not only the well-being and quality of life of WLWH, but have implications for HIV management and transmission prevention. Despite these ramifications, WLWH are under-treated for mental health concerns and they are underrepresented in the mental health treatment literature. In this review, we illustrate the unique mental health issues faced by WLWH such as a high prevalence of physical and sexual abuse histories, caregiving stress, and elevated internalized stigma as well as myriad barriers to care. We examine the feasibility and outcomes of mental health interventions that have been tested in WLWH including cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based interventions, and supportive counseling. Future research is required to address individual and systemic barriers to mental health care for WLWH.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 442-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Martin ◽  
Megan Woods ◽  
Sarah Dawkins

Purpose Mental health conditions such as depression are prevalent in working adults, costly to employers, and have implications for legal liability and corporate social responsibility. Managers play an important role in determining how employees’ and organizations’ interests are reconciled in situations involving employee mental ill-health issues. The purpose of this paper is to explore these situations from the perspective of managers in order to develop theory and inform practice in workplace mental health promotion. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 Australian managers who had supervised an employee with a mental health issue. Interview transcripts were content analyzed to explore themes in managers’ experiences. Findings Managing an employee with a mental health issue involves becoming aware of the issue, taking action to understand the situation and develop an action response, implementing the response and managing the ongoing situation. Each of these tasks had a range of positive and negative aspects to them, e.g., managing the situation can be experienced as both a source of stress for the manager but also as an opportunity to develop greater management skills. Practical implications Understanding line managers’ experiences is critical to successful implementation of HR policies regarding employee health and well-being. HR strategies for dealing with employee mental health issues need to consider implementation support for managers, including promotion of guiding policies, training, emotional support and creating a psychosocial safety climate in their work units or teams. Originality/value The insights gained from this study contribute to the body of knowledge regarding psychosocial safety climate, an emergent theoretical framework concerned with values, attitudes and philosophy regarding worker psychological health. The findings also have important implications for strategic human resource management approaches to managing mental health in the workplace.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Yang ◽  
Siu Ching Wong ◽  
Ingrid Obsuth ◽  
Aja Murray

Abstract BackgroundResearch into the transdiagnostic processes underlying multiple mental health problems is promising for making clinical practice and interventions more effective and resource-efficient. In this protocol, we describe a systematic review and meta-analysis that will explore time perspective, defined as an individual’s relative investment of attention on past, present, and future, as a possible transdiagnostic factor that may contribute to issues across wide-ranging domains of mental health. MethodsA systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted to quantify the associations between mental health issue and specific dimensions of time perspective (past, present, future), respectively. The review will include quantitatively measured associations between time perspective and psychological problems published in a peer-reviewed journal from 1st January 1990 up until 1st March 2021, in the English language. Electronic searches will be conducted in Google Scholar, PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science, and EMBASE and supplemented by expert consultation and inspection of the reference lists of included papers. Screening, quality assessment and data extraction will be conducted by two reviewers independently, and potential conflicts will be resolved through discussion with a third reviewer. Random-effects meta-analysis will be conducted using the metafor package in R statistical software, and quality assessment will employ The Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Form for Cohort Studies and for Case-Control Studies. The Quality In Prognosis Studies (QUIPS) will be used to evaluate risk of bias. A narrative synthesis will additionally be used to summarize and interpret the results. DiscussionThe present review will provide the first systematic synthesis exploring the associations between time perspective defined as a multidimensional construct and a broad range of mental health issues. This will help evaluate the extent to which time perspective can be considered a key transdiagnostic factor in mental health and thus a key intervention target for the prevention and treatment of multiple mental health issues simultaneously. With a clearer view of the relations between time perspective and various mental health issues based on a robust synthesis, more focused, effective, and efficient interventions may be delivered. Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42021228869


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (7) ◽  
pp. 81-100
Author(s):  
Joanna Michal Hoyt ◽  

How do you deal with generalized fears? How do you learn to overcome a mental health issue so you can serve others? In this work of philosophical short fiction, Verity suffers from irrational fears. She is afraid the fire in her fireplace will catch her mattress on fire so she puts out the fire and rolls her mattress into the snow outside. A friend comes over, but she is too distraught to spend time with them. She heads to the community building and is told, “Tell truth and shame the devil.” And so she does. She stops trying to hide her mental health issues and, bit by bit, they get better. She gets a job helping the local healer. Eventually, when those from the neighboring community have childbirth issue that need help on the outskirts of town, she is asked to go in the place of the healer. The neighboring community members tell of a “fear plague” that has stricken communities they are fleeing. Time passes, and, eventually, a strange mist comes to the town; the fear plague. When a neighbor goes briefly missing the community jumps to the conclusion it was caused by the strangers on the outside of town. The fear has taken hold of them, everyone is a suspect, and everyone is at risk. Verity rush to the front of the group, talks sense into them, and calms them down. The missing community member is found.


Author(s):  
Kristine N. Rodriguez

All educators, including early career teachers, are the frontline of mental health prevention for students. Teachers and other school staff often develop a close relationship with their students enabling them to be among the first to recognize a possible mental health issue. Mental health issues can impact academic achievement and peer relationships. Students benefit from instruction on how to handle stress or overcome adversity. Understanding mental health, recognizing behavioral and emotional issues, and utilizing data-driven strategies aids early career teachers in addressing students' mental health needs.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trisha Bharti

The continent of Africa, since the advent of its colonial subjugation and beyond, has been replete with conflicts, be it intra or inter state. Such armed and violent hostilities not only disrupt the quotidian lifestyle of civilians, but also render them vulnerable to great levels of stress and severe mental trauma. This article, through pure qualitative research, attempts at investigating the mental health issues and disorders, individual or collective, prevailing among the inhabitants of such conflict settings in the Dark Continent. The article further stresses the importance of said mental illnesses as a direct consequence of the conflagrations and claims its stance to be at par with physical traumas sustained by the post conflict African society. By placing emphasis on the country of Liberia, which has been subjected to a myriad of brutal conflicts in the last century, the article seeks to understand the effectiveness of the resolution schemes across the post conflict regions with respect to the provisions made for the aid of such mental health issues and the viability of its awareness among the Liberian populace regarding its knowledge and treatment.


2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. D. Shepard

Aims.The purpose of this systematic review is to identify and appraise the present state of prevalence research on the mental health of polygynous women, or plural wives, and to summarize its implications for future research and social work practice.Methods.PsycInfo (1967 to November 2011) and Medline (1985 to November 2011) databases, systematic bibliography hand-searches, personal communication with a leading expert, and gray literature searching were applied in a systematic literature search of the prevalence of mental-health issues in polygynous women compared to monogamous women. Twenty-two studies meeting eligibility criteria were identified. Study characteristics, methods and findings were systematically extracted and appraised for quality.Results.The identified studies are of mixed methodological quality, but generally suggest a more significant prevalence of mental-health issues in polygynous women compared to monogamous women. Individual studies report a higher prevalence of somatization, depression, anxiety, hostility, psychoticism and psychiatric disorder in polygynous wives as well as reduced life and marital satisfaction, problematic family functioning and low self-esteem.Conclusions.The current state of the research reveals with moderate confidence, a more significant prevalence of mental-health issues in polygynous women as compared to monogamous women. Implications for practice and research are indicated.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was first detected in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and has since spread to several provinces in China. India had 15.3 million cases as of April 21, 2021, with 13.1 million cases recovered; however, 181 thousand patients died as a result of the covid. The government enforced a full lockdown across the country to break the chain of Covid infections. People became isolated from society as a result of the lockdown. They limited access to the healthcare system, as well as schools, universities, and other social institutions. The new normal was difficult for people to adjust to, the health-care system was on the verge of collapsing, and the fear of COVID caused widespread anxiety and mental health issues. According to the recent study published in Lancet on November 9, 18 percent of COVID-19 patients developed a mental health issue— like depression, anxiety, or dementia — within 3 months of diagnosis. Their risk was doubled compared to people who didn’t have COVID-19. In the study, authors examined whether a diagnosis of COVID-19 was associated with increased rates of subsequent psychiatric diagnoses, and whether patients with a history of psychiatric illness are at a higher risk of being diagnosed with COVID-19, using data from 69 million people, 62354 of whom have been diagnosed with COVID-19.


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