Disclosure of Mental Illness in the Workplace: A Literature Review

Abstract Given the stigma attached to mental illness, workers with mental illness worry about their illnesses being disclosed in the workplace. At the same time, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 makes disclosure necessary if these workers want to obtain workplace accommodations. This literature review summarizes the research evidence on the characteristics and outcomes of workplace disclosures of mental illness. The available research on disclosure characteristics indicates that disclosure to supervisors is more common than disclosure to coworkers. Outcomes of disclosure have included increased support in some workplace relationships; other relationships—especially relationships with coworkers—have become more strained after disclosure. Future studies using more carefully defined disclosure definitions and prospective, longitudinal designs will elucidate more information about the characteristics and outcomes of workplace disclosures. Keywords: DisclosureEmploymentJobMental illnessWork