Depression at work, authenticity in question: Experiencing, concealing and revealing

Abstract

Australia and the UK have both introduced policies to protect employees who experience mental illness, including depression. However, a better understanding of the issues workers face (e.g. sense of moral failure) is needed for the provision of appropriate and beneficial support. We analysed 73 interviews from the UK and Australia where narratives of depression and work intersected. Participants encountered difficulties in being (and performing as if) 'authentic' at work, with depression contributing to confusions about the self. The diffuse post-1960s imperative to 'be yourself' is experienced in conflicting ways: While some participants sought support from managers and colleagues (e.g. sick leave, back to work plans), many others put on a façade in an attempt to perform the 'well' and 'authentic' employee. We outline the contradictory forces at play for participants when authenticity and visibility are expected, yet moral imperatives to be good (healthy) employees are normative.Word Count: 8,000

Depression as a concealable stigmatized identity: what influences whether students conceal or reveal their depression in undergraduate research experiences?

“…Further, some studies suggest that students prefer and can benefit from mentors who share their same identity, especially if their identities are stigmatized; so far, this has been demonstrated with gender and race/ethnicity (Blake-Beard et al 2011;Dee 2004;Patton and Bondi 2015). Because both students and potential research mentors are unlikely to reveal their CSIs in professional settings (Cooper et al 2019a;Cooper and Brownell 2016;Ridge et al 2019), finding a mentor with the same CSI is likely extremely difficult; and to our knowledge, there is little research about whether same-identity mentoring is effective for students with CSIs in the context of undergraduate research.…”

“…Studies have shown that individuals with CSIs often conceal their identities, particularly in the workplace, for fear of experiencing negative consequences (Cooper et al 2019a;Ridge et al 2019). Specifically, identity management of CSIs can result in strain and stress for individuals (Goffman 2009;Jones and King 2014).…”

Towards a better understanding of work participation among employees with common mental health problems: a systematic realist review

“…A lack of adaptive skills, due to reduced psychological flexibility and a different perspective on situations, reduces the capacity to bear responsibilities, which in turn has a negative effect on SAW (30,32,44). Useful coping skills for SAW are: being more alert on signals of reduced mental health, reading and understanding own signals, exerting control over one's own work and workload, balancing positive and negative influences of work, making adjustments and informing colleagues, protecting oneself, taking control, and being assertive (23,28,30,35,37,(45)(46)(47)(48)(49). Also, being highly motivated towards the job increases the likelihood for SAW (23,31,50,51).…”

“…environment where supervisors feel comfortable to offer help and support to employees, helps employees to feel motivated and valued, which in turn may have a positive effect on their job performance (29,71). Practical job support from colleagues and managerial support from supervisors, offered continuously while functioning at work despite CMHP, helps to improve WP as the employee experiences trust and empathy (6,29,33,48,51,69,71).…”

The Three Cs of Disclosing Serious Mental Illness at Work: Control, Conditions, Costs

“…Internal. The degree to which workers prefer to keep details of their mental illness private is influenced by individual preferences, which are shaped by norms in their family and community (7,10,11). Workers who are accustomed to honesty and frankness are likely to be more open regarding whom they tell and what they disclose than are those whose families or communities placed a high priority on privacy (i.e., "it's nobody else's business").…”