Unemployed Due To Mental Illness

Returning To Work After Mental Health Issues

If you’ve had a mental health problem and been off or out of work, you may worry about going back.

You may be concerned about how your colleagues will react, for example, or that you will not be able to cope.

But most people find that going back to work is a positive step, and support is available to help ease your way back in.

Unemployed Mentally Ill Are Not Lazy Theyre Warriors

Most of us very desperately WANT to work, but fighting for our lives everyday is a full time job in itself, and can prevent that. I wrote this article in hope that I can explain some of the reasons I and many others are unemployed.

Its upsetting when people judge me and assume I just dont try. Because thats simply not true. I have been employed since I was 13 years old. Babysitting, ice cream parlor, pet shop, retail worker, cashier, receptionist, restaurant host, server, cook. From 14 31 years old I have been either part or full time employed. In highschool I worked 2 afterschool jobs going right from school to one then the next 5-7 days a week. In college I was enrolled in 4+ classes each semester while working 2 jobs 5-7 days a week and still graduated with honors holding a Bachelors in Science with a concentration in Occupational Health & Safety, I held on to each of these jobs until I was ready to move on never getting fired.

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Your Rights And The Law

Some people worry that when they apply for a job, they will be discriminated against if they admit that they have, or have had, mental or emotional health problems.

But it’s illegal for employers to ask health or health-related questions before making a job offer.

It’s also illegal to discriminate against people with any kind of health condition or disability, including mental health issues.

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Can You Get Benefits Of Unemployment For Medical Reasons

Often, you must be bewildered about your benefits covered under the unemployment scheme. Many states in North America offer aid for medical setbacks replacing Unemployment for medical reasons to people who are reported medically ill, injured, or disabled by doctors, even under good cause reasons defined by different states.

Unemployment is not a benefit under poverty, and to receive it, you might be asked to submit a specific medical document claiming your healthy medical condition to perform your regular job. However, you cannot seek unemployment due to mental illness, physical illness, or definite disability under different health checks.

Coping Strategies For Job

The best way to start the process of coping with job-related stress is by identifying the source of your stress. People frequently skip this step and begin trying to implement strategies that do not help the problem. Common sources of workplace stress include:

• Expectations on yourself that are too high
• A demanding boss
• Incompetent coworkers
• Feeling a lack of value or respect

Once the source is identified, you must ask yourself, Can I change this problem? Some issues are going to be outside of your control, and trying to change them will only create more stress and frustration.

Focus on addressing what you can and work to accept what you cannot change. If acceptance is not possible, then its time to begin looking for a new job.

If you are determined to make your employment work, consider:

• Forming and maintaining strict boundaries about your time and attention by not responding to emails, texts and phone calls outside of work
• Having frank and assertive conversations with your superiors
• Explore ways to make your home office more conducive
• Invest in some additional equipment and supplies to lower stress
• Lowering your expectations of yourself and others

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Unemployment For Medical Leave

Once again, you cannot collect unemployment benefits while on medical leave because you fail at least one of two universal criteria, and a third factor may enter the equation.

Claiming Support And Conditionality

Universal Credit is also designed to help people into work or to earn more, but there are strict conditions attached. A key part of the eligibility assessment is agreeing to a claimant commitment, which sets expectations of the amount of time people should spend looking for work. The standard expectation is to spend 35 hours a week seeking work . However, experiences of benefit recipients suggest that the circumstances of people with mental health problems often fail to be duly considered in setting these expectations.

During the first wave of the pandemic, the suspension of job seeking conditions for all UC claimants helped to mitigate the stress of searching for work, particularly when many sectors were closed. This blanket suspension has now ended, with work coaches instead applying discretion based on individual and local circumstances. It is important that this discretion takes into account mental health needs as much as caring responsibilities.

Common mental disorders are higher among those who are receiving benefits. Such disorders include anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder . Despite many claimants citing mental ill health as the root cause of unemployment, the application process and assessment regime has been found to exacerbate their mental health problems.

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Report: Adults With Serious Mental Illnesses Face 80% Unemployment

This KHN story can be republished for free.

Employment rates for people with a serious mental illness are dismally low and getting worse, according to a report from the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Just 17.8 percent of people receiving public mental health services were employed in 2012 down from 23 percent in 2003.

Thats an unemployment rate of more than 80 percent.

It isnt surprising, says Sita Diehl, director of state policy at NAMI and author of the report. The problem has less to with the workers themselves, she says, and more with the organizations that provide services for people with serious mental illness. We knew that mental health services really took it on the chin during the recession. Employment rates had already been dismal to begin with, and when the supports were eroded, people with mental illness lost support and lost jobs.

Rates of unemployment for people with mental illnesses varied greatly by state from 92.6 percent in Maine to 56 percent in Wyoming.

Most adults with mental illness want to work, and six in 10 can succeed with the right supports, according to the report. Yet only 1.7 percent received supported employment services in 2012.

Without proper supports, many end up on expensive public programs including Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Income . People with mental illnesses make up the largest and fastest growing group for both programs.

How To Ask Your Employer For Mental Health Support

Part of the conversation with your employer should focus on your mental health and well-being. In 2020, employers and employees need to check in with each other regarding mental health and coping. As jobs, expectations and work settings change due to the coronavirus, employers should respect the needs of the individual.

If your employer is not bringing up the topic, take the lead and ask:

• What measures are you taking to improve employee mental health?
• What can you offer me to ensure my employment does not impair my health?
• Are there any policies prohibiting me from using sick time for mental health issues?
• Is the company providing any workshops regarding mental health?
• What level of reimbursement should I expect for equipment and supplies needed for my job?

Remember, all conversations have to start somewhere. You may not get the desired response at the beginning, but it only means you need to continue the conversation in the future. These conversations may be uncomfortable, but they go a long way to reducing mental health and substance abuse stigma.

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What Does The Evidence Say

There are many published studies of the relationship between unemployment and mental health. The vast majority of those that we reviewed found that unemployment adversely affects mental health.

One particularly helpful publication is a 1999 review paper by Murphy and Athanasou. They reviewed 16 longitudinal studies published between 1986 and 1996 that looked at the effects on mental health, measured by standardized psychological tests, of moving from employment to unemployment or vice-versa. In all, 14 of the 16 studies showed a significant, negative association between unemployment and mental health: job loss reduced mental health re-employment improved it.

Murphy and Athanasou acknowledged the risk of a selection effect in some of the studies they reviewed. However, several studies in the review addressed this by controlling for mental health status prior to job loss, or by excluding people with pre-existing health problems. All of these studies supported the conclusion that unemployment had a negative effect on mental health. The two highest quality studies, Graetz and Morrell , which had large sample sizes and many controls for other variables likely to influence mental health, both supported this conclusion.

Why Are Some People With Mental Illnesses And Former Substance Use Problems Unemployed

There are many reasons for high unemployment rates among people living with a mental illness. The symptoms of these health problems can make it difficult to work. Side effects of treatments and time spent on recovery may also affect work. And people with former substance problems may experience job loss or have problems when they look for work if they reveal that theyve been in treatment. But there are bigger factors that affect unemployment. Lack of education or training, system-wide issues like laws, and discrimination also play a big part.

Lack of education or training

Mental illnesses and substance use problems may start to affect older youth and young adults, right around the time they finish high school or start post-secondary education like university. Some people may not finish their education or complete the skills training they need. In a study of people living with schizophrenia, finishing high school was the biggest predictor of future employment.

System-wide issues

Stigma and discrimination

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Looking For A New Job

If you’re unemployed and want to get back into work, staff at your local Jobcentre Plus can help. If you have ongoing mental health issues, ask to speak to their disability employment adviser.

If you have a mental health worker, they can also tell you about the support available to help people with mental health problems get back to work.

Before you speak to anyone, think about:

• where you would like to work
• what kind of work you would like to do
• what type of support you may need
• your financial situation, including any benefits you’re getting

A full-time paid job is not the only option open to you. There are other possibilities that may suit you, including part-time work or volunteering.

Health Problems Due To Lack Of Activity

Being unemployed may leave one with no work to do. Lack of activity can lead to lethargy, and grave problems such as obesity. Complete absence of physical activity is an open invitation to obesity-induced disorders ranging from hormonal problems to heart disease. Obesity increases the risk of high blood pressure and diabetes.

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Voluntary Resignation Due To Mental Illness

A significant number of voluntary resignations are upscaling the sense of urgency to understand disability insurance. The post-covid-19 time has witnessed a number of people compelled to quit their existing employment. However, the illness is not always centered around one disease but several diseases associated with mental health.

Stress is a commonly seen factor in workplace environments where people tend to get influenced by work pressure and meeting deadlines more than ever these days. If you cannot work efficiently, you must see a doctor and get a letter to claim your other disability insurance instead of temporary medical unemployment.

Anxiety disorders and depression are other criteria where people tend to lose their ability to work or perform tasks on the job. Some states may recognize this well as a good cause to provide you disability benefits, although it always depends on which state you belong to and the local legislation the state has provided.

You can enroll yourself with a disability during unemployment DDU programs offered by the state to sustain your mental health diagnosis expenses or regular life.

Eligibility under the DDU program,

The Knowledge Gap Of Stigma In The Work Context

In the literature on absenteeism and return to work in people with common mental disorders, the role of workplace stigma is largely ignored. In contrast, in the stigma literature, the number of studies on the work environment is growing, but the main focus is rarely on long-term employment outcomes. Hence, there is an important knowledge gap regarding the prevention of job loss and other adverse work outcomes related to stigma in a large group that holds a vulnerable position in the labor market. There is an urgent need for high-quality and longitudinal research that investigates the role of stigma in the prevention of job loss in people with MI/MHI. In this paper, I argue that social stigma is an important underestimated contributing factor to unemployment in people with MI/MHI. I illustrate my views with evidence from recent scientific studies on four problem areas that support the assumption that stigma leads to unemployment, and I provide directions for future research. These four areas are depicted in Fig. .

Fig. 1

Four key problem areas of social stigma for sustainable employment of people with mental illness or mental health issues

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Is Employment The Only Goal

Mainstream employment may not be a goal for everyone. Some people find meaning from unpaid activities like volunteer work. Others find that part-time work is a good fit for them. And some people work during wellness but lessen their work responsibilities when theyre not feeling well. Whats important is choice. Everyones end goal and journey to wellness is unique. But we do know that many people who want to work have a hard time finding meaningful work.

Work And Mental Illness

Many people find work is important for their mental health and that work helps them feel good about themselves. You may have stopped working because of mental illness and now feel ready to go back. This page explains your options for finding work. This information is for adults affected by mental illness in England. Its also for their loved ones and carers and anyone interested in this subject.

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Related Literature And Contribution

It is a well-documented fact that unemployment is associated with bad health outcomes . However, an unresolved debate remains about the nature of this association. At least three different mechanisms can lead to the observation that unemployed workers are less healthy than employed ones. First, ill workers are more likely to become unemployed . Second, there is evidence that poor health causes longer unemployment spells . Finally, unemployment itself can lead to a deterioration of health.

Our paper is also related to another stream of the literature that has examined the relationship between health and aggregate economic conditions, in particular unemployment. Several authors have documented that aggregate mortality is strongly procyclical , but that mental health deteriorates during economic downturns . The literature on happiness and subjective well-being has also shown that higher levels of unemployment are linked to lower reported happiness . Studies based on individual data also identify a positive effect of unemployment on suicide, depression, physician consultations, illness episodes, and substance abuse . In a recent paper also using individual data, document a negative relationship between labor market conditions and mental distress.

Demographic And Illness Characteristics Of People With Schizophrenia Or Bipolar Disorder

In the schizophrenia cohort, over half were men, whereas in the bipolar disorder cohort, over half were women . People in the general population belonged to the youngest age group more often than people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder . Of the individuals with bipolar disorder, a quarter had high education, but 16% had only basic education. The individuals with schizophrenia had lower education than the individuals with bipolar disorder or the general population. However, even 12% of the individuals with schizophrenia had high education. People in the general population were more often married or cohabiting than people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder . The number of individuals who had received bipolar disorder diagnosis in the registers increased from 13 081 in 2006 to 35 119 in 2013, whereas the number of the individuals with schizophrenia diagnosis decreased a little .

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Physical Mental Health Issues Named Top Cause Of Us Unemployment

A new survey of United States workers found that 30 percent of unemployed respondents cited physical health as the cause of their joblessness, while 15 percent cited mental health issues.

One of the more baffling questions surrounding the labour market recovery in the United States is the mismatch between a near-record number of job openings and the paucity of workers willing to fill them.

A new survey published on Monday by global consultancy McKinsey and Company is shedding light on one of the major drivers keeping workers on the sidelines: health issues.

According to McKinseys latest American Opportunity Survey, nearly half of jobless workers canvassed said health issues were the main cause of their unemployment, with 30 percent saying they had to leave work because of physical health issues, and 15 percent citing mental health issues.

Both metrics marked an increase over March, when the first survey was conducted.

The third most commonly cited reason was the need to take care of children or elderly relatives, which 12 percent of respondents said best described the cause of their unemployment.

But the headline metric concealed big differences, said McKinsey.

Jobless workers with children at home were 2.4 times more likely to cite caregiving as the reason for their unemployment, while Asian Americans were three times more likely than people of other races or ethnicities to cite taking care of family for keeping them out of the jobs market.