Half of workers fear disclosing mental health issues  will see them passed over for promotion

40% of those surveyed reported witnessing some form of stigmatising behaviour around the issue while at work. File Picture

Almost half of Irish workers believe that disclosing a mental health issue in their workplace would result in them being passed over for promotion.

That’s according to new research from See Change, a project of leading mental health charity Shine.

See Change’s report revealed that overall, 70% of Irish workers feel that stigma around mental health issues could impact negatively on their job.

20% of those who took part in the research believed there was a stigma around mental health in their workplace, and 40% reported witnessing some form of stigmatising behaviour around the issue while at work.

Almost half of respondents (47%) expressed fears that they would be passed over for a promotion if they revealed their own mental health difficulties to their employer, while 37% worried they would be excluded from specific tasks and meetings.

See Change Ambsassodor Adrian Yeats said the research illustrated that there was a lack of knowledge of mental illness in Irish workplaces.

"We fear what we don’t know and therefore avoid dealing with issues that might be taboo or 'too complicated'," he said.

Regrettably, some leaders in the workplace still buy into the myth that only ‘strong’ people succeed, so they dare not acknowledge any perceived weakness or vulnerability.

Stigma was also cited by many respondents as a factor that would prevent them from participating in initiatives like mental health and wellbeing workshops. Several workers expressed worry that being associated with such programmes would lead to judgement for participating.

The report also revealed a lack of understanding among employees about what legislation exists around mental health in the workplace.

60% of workers said they were unaware that mental health is covered under legislation and the nine grounds of discrimination under disability.  

Commenting on the findings, See Change Programmes Leader, Barbara Brennan said that while many organisations had made some progress towards ending mental health stigma, there is still "a lot of work to be done to alleviate the fear that having a mental health difficulty is detrimental to a person’s career."