A mixed methods study of employers' and employees' evaluations of job seekers with a mental illness, disability, or of a cultural minority.
Tonje Fyhn, Vigdis Sveinsdottir, Silje E Reme and 1 others
PMID 34511527WHAT IT FOUND
Employers and employees rated job seekers with mental illness or physical disability lower than a single mother without health issues.
Previous experience with similar colleagues predicted more favourable ratings. Barriers varied by condition: physical disabilities raised concerns about job fit and accommodation, while mental illness raised concerns about social interaction and customer relations.
Key findings
01Job seekers described with mental illness symptoms or physical disabilities were generally less likely to be rated as fitting into the work group compared to a single mother vignette with no health issues.
02Respondents who had previous experience working with someone similar to the vignette character rated that character more favourably than those without such experience.
03Barriers to inclusion differed by condition: physical disabilities were associated with concerns about the nature of the work and accommodation, while mental illness was associated with concerns about clients and social interaction.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study used hypothetical vignettes, so responses may not reflect real hiring decisions. The response rate was low (29% for supervisors, 19% for employees), which may introduce bias. The vignettes did not account for the specific context of the workplace or the actual job requirements beyond a general description. All vignette characters were in their 30s and 40s, which may not represent the broader workforce. Participants may have given socially desirable answers rather than their true attitudes.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was part of a larger project reviewed by the Norwegian Centre for Research Data.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that employers are unwilling to hire people with disabilities or mental illness. The study shows that previous positive experience with such individuals is strongly associated with more favourable hiring attitudes. This suggests that the barrier is often a lack of familiarity, not inherent prejudice.