With a survey revealing that 22% of people have experienced discrimination at work due to a mental health difficulty, St Patrick’s Mental Health Services has launched a new suite of resources as part of its #NoStigma campaign to explore how to support people with mental health difficulties in the workplace and to highlight the rights of employees who are experiencing mental ill health and the role of their employers.
Launched in 2020, the #NoStigma campaign aims to reframe mental health stigma and discrimination by showing the positive effect on life when they are not experienced. The campaign explores how it serves us all collectively when we can live free from mental health stigma in the home, the community and in the workplace.
The launch of the resources comes following findings from St Patrick’s Mental Health Services’ Annual Attitudes to Mental Health and Stigma Survey in 2022, which revealed that:
55% of people are not aware that people with mental health difficulties have the right to reasonable accommodations in the workplace. Reasonable accommodations include access to support for time off and a change in work responsibilities.
There has been a decrease in the number of people who would be okay explaining to their boss that they needed time off due to a mental health difficulty. In 2019, 61% of people cited that they would be okay asking for time off for a mental health difficulty, while this figure stood at 56% in 2022
Much progress has been made in recent years to improve how mental health is understood and approached in the workplace, however, there is still work to be done in raising awareness of what people’s rights are when it comes to their mental health and work and what supports they are entitled to. The focus of the #NoStigma campaign this year is to empower people with knowledge about their rights and entitlements, and to demonstrate what a workplace without mental health stigma looks like; workplaces without stigma are inclusive and supportive environments where those experiencing mental health difficulties have access to equal opportunities for employment and progressing at work, as well as having access to available supports in the workplace if required.
While findings from the Attitudes to Mental Health and Stigma Survey demonstrate the need for increased awareness about workers’ rights in relation to mental health and the need to continue to challenge stigma, results also revealed that positive attitudes to mental health in the workplace are improving in some instances:
There has been a 12% increase in the number of people who would tell a colleague if they were experiencing a mental health difficulty
66% of people believe that someone who experiences panic attacks could work as head of a large company
43% of people have had positive experiences of disclosing mental health difficulties at work
46% of people believe that workplaces in Ireland are open to employing people with mental health difficulties.
“Research has shown that work can play a significant role in the life of a person experiencing mental health difficulties – it fosters a sense of pride and self-esteem, provides a helpful sense of routine and offers a sense of personal meaning, which can enhance a person’s recovery journey.
“The stigma surrounding mental health difficulties at work has been recognised by the World Health Organisation as a barrier to disclosure at work and to the implementation, and uptake, of support at work for people experiencing mental health difficulties.
“The launch of resources from St Patrick’s Mental Health Services is an opportunity to increase knowledge and awareness among workers about their rights and entitlements so that they feel comfortable and empowered to seek any supports they might require for their mental health, without fear of discrimination. It is our hope that this suite of resources will also serve as a helpful guide for employers so that they can be better equipped to respond appropriately, and in the most supportive manner possible, to the mental health needs of their employees,” speaking about the importance of promoting a life without stigma in the workplace, Paul Gilligan, Chief Executive at St Patrick’s Mental Health Services, said.
Visit www.nostigma.ie to learn more about the campaign, read shared experiences from members of the public, and to help to build support for a society free from mental health stigma and discrimination.
