Affiliations: [a]
Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Department of Psychiatry and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| [b]
School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| [c] Mental Health Commission of Canada
Correspondence:
[*]
Address for correspondence: Bonnie Kirsh, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Department of Psychiatry and Rehabilitation Science Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Tel.: +1 416 978 4647; Fax: +1 416 946 8570; E-mail: bonnie.kirsh@utoronto.ca.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Organizations have become increasingly concerned about mental health issues in the workplace as the economic and social costs of the problem continue to grow. Addressing employees’ mental health problems and the stigma that accompanies them often falls to supervisors, key people in influencing employment pathways and the social climate of the workplace. OBJECTIVE:This study examines how supervisors experience and perceive mental illness and stigma in their workplaces. It was conducted under the mandate of the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s Opening Minds initiative. METHODS:The study was informed by a theoretical framework of stigma in the workplace and employed a qualitative approach. Eleven supervisors were interviewed and data were analyzed for major themes using established procedures for conventional content analysis. RESULTS:Themes relate to: perceptions of the supervisory role relative to managing mental health problems at the workplace; supervisors’ perceptions of mental health issues at the workplace; and supervisors’ experiences of managing mental health issues at work. The research reveals the tensions supervisors experience as they carry out responsibilities that are meant to benefit both the individual and workplace, and protect their own well-being as well. CONCLUSION:This study emphasizes the salience of stigma and mental health issues for the supervisor’s role and illustrates the ways in which these issues intersect with the work of supervisors. It points to the need for future research and training in areas such as balancing privacy and supports, tailoring disclosure processes to suit individuals and workplaces, and managing self-care in the workplace.
Keywords: Work, social stigma, qualitative research
