Research Updates

Employee Decision-Making about Disclosure of a Mental Health Disorder at Work - part 1

A. Richey

Discussing mental health at work is a complex issue. The authors of this research, Kate Toth and Carolyn Dewa, wanted to study the circumstances in which workers feel comfortable discussing their mental health issues in the workplace.

Interviews were conducted with 13 employees of a tertiary educational institution in Canada, and data was analysed. The researchers found that employees begin from a default position of nondisclosure, attributable to fear of being stigmatised at work as a result of a mental health disorder.  Employees needed a reason to disclose before they will do so, with a weighing up of risks and benefits.  Although Canada, like Australia...

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