Many great people have suffered from mental illness. According to the Center for Reintegration, Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill are just a couple of the great leaders who have been known to suffer from mental illness. The stigma of mental illness can keep some employers from hiring hard-working, effective employees. In addition, the mentally ill who are already working sometimes need special accommodations or assistance so that they are able to perform their duties.
Employing the Mentally Ill
According to the Center for Reintegration, individuals with mental illness can be some of the most creative and ingenious members of our society. However, because of the stigma attached to mental illness many employers find it difficult to look past the disease to what the individual is capable of doing. However, with the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is against the law to disregard prospective employees because of a mental or psychological illness. Instead, the mentally ill must be considered for employment as other people with a physical or mental disability would be.
Environmental Stimuli
Environmental stimuli can sometimes be difficult to deal with if you suffer from a mental illness. According to the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, simple things like copiers running or sounds of others talking can cause problems for someone with a mental illness. According to the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, employers and workers who suffer from mental illness should try to come up with resolutions to these problems. Workers who suffer from mental illness may need to work in an area away from noises and distractions. For example, the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation suggests installing partitions around the desk to keep sound out.
Criticism
Criticism can be hard for anyone to take but for a person with a mental illness it can be especially hard. According to the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, defensive behavior may often occur when a mentally ill person is confronted with criticism. If you suffer from depression then you may feel that trying to do better and correct the problem is futile because you will never improve. However, employers can help their employees who are struggling with criticism and mental illness by being supportive and available for discussions. According to the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, some other ways to deal with this problem if you are a mentally ill employee is to ask for specific ways that you can improve your performance. If you have an employer who is less than helpful you may want to get this in writing so that it can be referred to and you have proof in the event you need to seek legal counsel.
