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March 25, 2006
Work Place Discrimination Not a Delusion
A recent article in Psychiatric Services reports on "Perceived and measured stigma among workers with serious mental illness". Using data from the National Health Interview Survey - Disability Supplement they found that 20% of workers with mental illness reported some experience with employment-related stigma (refused hiring, promotion, transfer, or access to job training). Those who had functional limitations (problems with memory or concentration) were more likely to experience that discrimination.
They also found:
"...when we compared workers who reported experiencing stigma with those with no mental illness, the results showed adjusted wages that were about two-thirds as large. The results strongly suggest that workers know when they are being discriminated against."
The article suggests that some employer initiatives are needed: education, policy changes, sensitivity training for supervisors and other workers to provide a fairer more humane workplace environment for the benefit of all.
Related Links:
"ABSTRACT: Perceived and measured stigma among workers with serious mental illness," Marjorie L. Baldwin, Ph.D. and Steven C. Marcus, Ph.D., Psychiatric Services, March 2006, pp388-392.
"FULL TEXT: Perceived and measured stigma among workers with serious mental illness," Marjorie L. Baldwin, Ph.D. and Steven C. Marcus, Ph.D., Psychiatric Services, March 2006, pp388-392.
Psychiatric Services: A Journal of the American Psychiatric Association
Note: A subscription is required to retrieve the full text of this article on the Psychiatric Services website.
Posted by admin at March 25, 2006 09:05 AM