Expectations of Mental Illness Disclosure Outcomes in the Work Context: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Dutch Workers.
I E van Beukering, M Bakker, P W Corrigan and 5 others
PMID 35137273WHAT IT FOUND
Dutch workers mostly expected that disclosure of mental illness at work could improve authenticity and work adjustments, but many also expected contract renewal or promotion problems.
Expectations varied by experience, gender, education and workplace atmosphere.
Key findings
0182.4% expected disclosure to improve well-being through authenticity, and 77.2% expected manager willingness to make work adjustments, but 68.4% expected disclosure to decrease likelihood of temporary contract renewal and 56.6% expected diminished promotion chances.
02In 11 of 14 circumstances, workers would advise a friend to disclose, including 93.3% when work adjustments could help, but 65.4% advised non-disclosure during a job interview with an unknown employer.
03Workers formed six expectation classes, and these classes differed in personal experience with workers with mental illness, work-related association, gender, educational level, and workplace atmosphere.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Most respondents (72.6%) said they had never experienced mental illness, so the results are mainly general worker expectations rather than the views of workers with mental illness. The questionnaire asked about hypothetical outcomes and advice to a friend, not actual disclosure decisions or workplace outcomes. The design was cross-sectional, so it cannot show cause and effect. Some work-related characteristics had missing values and were imputed. The sample was Dutch, paid, non-management workers, so it may not apply to other countries, managers, or people without paid work. Class selection involved both fit indices and subjective evaluation of model relevance.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these findings as evidence that disclosure improves employment or that employers will grant accommodations. The study measured what workers expected or would advise, not what happened after real disclosure.