| Work is bad for a person's mental health. Okay, that | | | | treatment. They are not mood swings or emotional |
| may not be necessarily true. However, there are | | | | phases that will eventually give way to the person's |
| certain situations and events in the workplace that | | | | normal state of mind. This misconception can result in |
| can stress a person's mental health. These events | | | | someone's damaged mental health being effectively |
| can get even worse when the employee in question | | | | ignored for prolonged periods. This may result in the |
| is already suffering from some sort of mental illness. | | | | problem getting worse and affecting the person's |
| It is not entirely uncommon for people with mild | | | | ability to work properly. In such cases, termination is |
| psychological disorders to hide their illness. This is | | | | prescribed to deal with the problem, rather than |
| because of the fear and anxiety they feel because | | | | helping the employee get proper treatment. |
| of the possibility they might lose their job because of | | | | The negative stigma of having a mental health |
| their problem. Mental health issues also tend to be | | | | disorder also makes it difficult for employees to |
| misconceived as being easy to spot. This results in | | | | admit to having them. Even if the employee is of |
| employers who ignore the subtle signs that their | | | | such skill that she is irreplaceable, most companies |
| secretary has an anxiety disorder, or that the guy | | | | would rather release her than continue to employ a |
| that works late on Fridays has dissociative identity | | | | "risk." The desire to hold on to a job can result in |
| disorder. | | | | much more than simply hiding one's mental condition. |
| The core problem here lies in the misconceptions | | | | For some cases, the fear and anxiety of losing a job |
| people have about mental health. Most people view | | | | can force them to attempt to ignore their problem or |
| having good mental health as being outgoing and | | | | suppress it. Often, these situations end badly, with |
| being a good worker. The perception also includes | | | | the problem simply getting worse over time. In some |
| traits like being socially extroverted and having good | | | | extreme cases, this sort of behavior has been linked |
| morale. However, these qualities may be present can | | | | to workplace violence. The links are not definitive, but |
| also be present in someone who has a mental health | | | | the argument does carry some merit. |
| condition. The popular misconception that those with | | | | It does not help that most companies and bosses |
| compromised mental health are serial killers and | | | | simply do not have the procedures in place to handle |
| psychopaths causes most people to simply go into | | | | a worker that has some minor mental issues. Most |
| denial that some of their employees have a problem. | | | | companies will refuse to hire someone who is taking |
| This denial may even extend to the employee in | | | | medication for a disorder or has had a history of |
| question, rendering him incapable of recognizing the | | | | mental illness. Bosses will either ignore the signs or will |
| problem and seeking appropriate treatment. | | | | be unable to actually interpret them for what they |
| Another problem lies in the fact that people tend to | | | | are. Employees tend to actively deny that they have |
| think the problem will just "go away." The common | | | | a problem, for fear of being terminated. These |
| idea among employers and employees is that a | | | | problems will continue until the negative stigma on |
| problem with mental health will fade in time. However, | | | | mental illness is lifted and companies are better |
| mental illnesses are long-term problems that require | | | | equipped to deal with these issues. |