Introduction: Depression often leads to a loss of productivity in the workplace, and can result in prolonged absences and job loss. For fear of stigmatisation or job insecurity, staff may feel uncomfortable or unable to disclose their condition to their boss or their colleagues. These consequences may be avoidable if staff felt comfortable to disclose their condition, so that it could be better managed in the workplace by collaborative interventions with health care services, before the onset of sick leave and job loss 1,2.
1. Gilbody, S., Bower, P. and Rick, J. (2012). Better care for depression in the workplace: integrating occupational and mental health services. The British Journal of Psychiatry, no. 200, pp. 442-443.
2. Bhui, K., Dinos, S., Stansfeld, S. and White, P. (2012). A synthesis of the evidence for managing stress at work: a review of the reviews reporting on anxiety, depression, and absenteeism. The Journal of Environmental and Public Health, no. 2, article ID 515874.
Study design: a qualitative questionnaire of members of staff from various workplaces who have been diagnosed with depression.
Research question: How do people with depression feel about disclosing their condition to their colleagues/managers?
Questions for staff with depression:
- When were you diagnosed with depression?
- Do you think it has it affected you ability to perform at work?
- Has it affected you satisfaction at work?
- Have you told anyone at work about it?
- If yes-
- Who did you tell and when?
- Does you manager know?
- How did you tell that person? Was it a formal or informal setting?
- Why did you tell that particular person?
- Was the information kept confidential?
- Did you feel better after telling them?
- Has it changed anything? E.g. how you are treated or approached by others?
- Have you been offered any additional support?
- If no-
- Why haven’t you told anyone? What are your concerns about telling people?
- Would you like to?
- If you did, what do you think would happen?