Mental health has seldom been more in the spotlight than it is today, but that focus doesn’t seem to mean that our workplaces are more accepting of the difficulties we all face.  This is reflected in a new study by Tilburg University in the Netherlands, which finds that 64% of managers would be reluctant to hire an applicant if they have identifiable mental health problems.

What’s more, around a third of managers would be reluctant to hire someone who has had mental health issues in the past, even if they’re no longer an issue.

The researchers wanted to explore how managers respond to employees who have had various mental health issues, including stress, anxiety, burnout, and depression.

Social inclusion

The researchers believe their findings have significant implications for social inclusion, both in the Netherlands and further afield.  They cite earlier research suggesting that 75% of employees actively choose to be open about any mental health problems they’re facing at work.

The findings are significant because the managers surveyed were not basing their biases on personal experience.  Indeed, just 7% of them had had a negative experience with an employee’s mental health, with 52% reporting positive personal experiences instead.

Despite this, nearly all of the managers in the survey revealed that they had at least one concern about hiring an employee with mental health problems.  These include not knowing how to help and concerns that the problems will harm the atmosphere in the workplace.

They’re concerns that the researchers believe can be addressed with education, but they nonetheless highlight the stigma with which mental health problems are still facing in the workplace today, with sufferers experiencing employment discrimination even after recovery.