Should you disclose Mental Health issues at work?
Statistics are showing that more people than ever before are struggling with their mental health at the moment, and seeking support from an overwhelmed NHS service.
The pressures of a struggling economy, the ongoing fallout from a recent pandemic and the changes it brought, a new Government in power, employment uncertainty, financial burdens from an ongoing cost of living crisis, the stress of caring for family, relationships, it all takes a toll on our health, and our mental health.
That toll sees people battling depression, anxiety, an increase in eating disorders or behavioural issues; the usual balance between our routines and our emotional needs feels constantly disrupted, with no certain end point in sight.
It’s no surprise that so many are battling their demons – some for the first time, others in a way they’d perhaps already worked hard to beat, and who now feel that their slide back into a darker frame of mind can feel like a failure, when they’ve been doing so well for so long.
If - like so many of us - you have tried to access help from the NHS you will know that waiting lists have never been longer, access to mental health support is agonisingly slow, crisis teams are overwhelmed, and the service desperately needs more funding, more support, more staff...simply more.
There is no shame in battling your mental health – there is no shame in admitting that you need support, and in reaching out for it. In taking time for yourself and your own needs, rather than constantly being on the go or giving your energy to others around you. Or, rather, there should be no shame. But for many people, there still is.
The stigma around mental health issues is still prevalent in many environments – and the place where that’s the biggest concern is in the workplace. Though employers legally can’t challenge or dismiss their staff for needing mental health support, many still feel that disclosing mental health issues will impact their future in the role, or risk them losing their position, prevent their path to promotion or negatively impact the potential they had with the company.
You aren’t legally obliged to disclose any mental health considerations to your employer – but, if you do find that you are discriminated against at a later date, it is important to have evidence that they knew about your mental health needs, and have used that knowledge to negatively impact your employment.
The Mental Health at Work Commitment - an initiative from Mind - is an excellent resource for both individuals and organisations, whether as an employee or as a business leader or manager - and outlines some simple best practice standards that any workplace should ensure are in place for their people.
I know that the decision about whether you want to disclose any diagnosis or mental health challenge to anyone - especially to an employer, if you are anxious about how that might impact your position - is deeply personal, and something you can only decide when you weigh up your own personal circumstances.
I also know that - no matter what your circumstances are - the more of us who speak openly, honestly and powerfully about our experiences, the challenges we face and any mental health issues which have impacted our lives, and the path we take to getting help or overcoming those challenges, the easier it becomes to do so.
This means we benefit ourselves, able to relieve some of the pressure, and gain support from those around us. It also means we help others who may be struggling alone to see that it is more common than they thought, and that they can access and deserve help and support too.
Help and support come in many forms – and your employer can, and should, help you to access some of them, whether through their own internal support or by allowing you to work more flexibly so that you can access professional support more readily.
If you are seeking one-to-one support, and you are looking for a Counsellor who can help you to work through the challenges you’re currently facing, or moving beyond past trauma or mental health concerns which are limiting your life today, please reach out to me; I can help you to leave that weight behind, and step into your best future with confidence.
You can contact me through this website, email on amandaburbidge-counselling@outlook.com, or call me on 07849 037095 – you can also message or call via WhatsApp on the same number, and I offer video sessions for those who are unable to meet in person.
"Before the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of mental illness in England had been slowly and steadily rising. The estimation of the prevalence of common mental disorders (for example, anxiety or depression) amongst adults aged 16-64, for example, had risen from 17.5% in 2000 to 18.9% in 2014. The next publication of the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS) is due out in 2024/25, so we will have a clearer idea of the trend when that is released later this year.
For children and young people, the latest evidence suggests that rates of mental illness may be growing at a faster rate than amongst adults. Between 2017 and 2022, rates of probable mental disorder increased from around 1 in 8 young people aged 7-16 to more than 1 in 6. For those aged 17-19, rates increased from 1 in 10 to 1 in 4.
The number of people seeking treatment, meanwhile, has grown at a much faster rate than the number of people estimated to have a mental illness. The percentage of adults aged 16-74 with a common mental disorder, who were accessing mental health treatment has risen from 23.1% in 2000 to 39.4% in 2014. This represents an increase of over two thirds (71%)."
https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/nhs-delivery-and-workforce/pressures/mental-health-pressur...
The pressures of a struggling economy, the ongoing fallout from a recent pandemic and the changes it brought, a new Government in power, employment uncertainty, financial burdens from an ongoing cost of living crisis, the stress of caring for family, relationships, it all takes a toll on our health, and our mental health.
That toll sees people battling depression, anxiety, an increase in eating disorders or behavioural issues; the usual balance between our routines and our emotional needs feels constantly disrupted, with no certain end point in sight.
It’s no surprise that so many are battling their demons – some for the first time, others in a way they’d perhaps already worked hard to beat, and who now feel that their slide back into a darker frame of mind can feel like a failure, when they’ve been doing so well for so long.
If - like so many of us - you have tried to access help from the NHS you will know that waiting lists have never been longer, access to mental health support is agonisingly slow, crisis teams are overwhelmed, and the service desperately needs more funding, more support, more staff...simply more.
There is no shame in battling your mental health – there is no shame in admitting that you need support, and in reaching out for it. In taking time for yourself and your own needs, rather than constantly being on the go or giving your energy to others around you. Or, rather, there should be no shame. But for many people, there still is.
The stigma around mental health issues is still prevalent in many environments – and the place where that’s the biggest concern is in the workplace. Though employers legally can’t challenge or dismiss their staff for needing mental health support, many still feel that disclosing mental health issues will impact their future in the role, or risk them losing their position, prevent their path to promotion or negatively impact the potential they had with the company.
You aren’t legally obliged to disclose any mental health considerations to your employer – but, if you do find that you are discriminated against at a later date, it is important to have evidence that they knew about your mental health needs, and have used that knowledge to negatively impact your employment.
The Mental Health at Work Commitment - an initiative from Mind - is an excellent resource for both individuals and organisations, whether as an employee or as a business leader or manager - and outlines some simple best practice standards that any workplace should ensure are in place for their people.
I know that the decision about whether you want to disclose any diagnosis or mental health challenge to anyone - especially to an employer, if you are anxious about how that might impact your position - is deeply personal, and something you can only decide when you weigh up your own personal circumstances.
I also know that - no matter what your circumstances are - the more of us who speak openly, honestly and powerfully about our experiences, the challenges we face and any mental health issues which have impacted our lives, and the path we take to getting help or overcoming those challenges, the easier it becomes to do so.
This means we benefit ourselves, able to relieve some of the pressure, and gain support from those around us. It also means we help others who may be struggling alone to see that it is more common than they thought, and that they can access and deserve help and support too.
Help and support come in many forms – and your employer can, and should, help you to access some of them, whether through their own internal support or by allowing you to work more flexibly so that you can access professional support more readily.
If you are seeking one-to-one support, and you are looking for a Counsellor who can help you to work through the challenges you’re currently facing, or moving beyond past trauma or mental health concerns which are limiting your life today, please reach out to me; I can help you to leave that weight behind, and step into your best future with confidence.
You can contact me through this website, email on amandaburbidge-counselling@outlook.com, or call me on 07849 037095 – you can also message or call via WhatsApp on the same number, and I offer video sessions for those who are unable to meet in person.