The Graduate’s Perspective
Mental health can be defined as how a person thinks feels and acts when faced with life’s situations. Mental health is how people look at themselves, their lives and other people in their lives; evaluate challenges and problems and explore choices. This includes handling stress, relating to other people and making decisions. We are all mental beings – in the same way as we are all physical beings. Thus mental health is just as important as physical health.
The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) (2005) puts greater emphasis on mental health problems. The recent additions to the act have removed the requirement that mental illnesses be ‘clinically well-recognised’. This considerably widens the legal scope of what a mental health difficulty is. If a mental health illness has a substantial, long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal activities, you are likely to be covered by the DDA. The Act does not provide a list of impairments that are covered. Instead it considers the effects of the impairment on a person. However, many people with a mental health impairment do not consider themselves disabled – but they have rights supported by the DDA. The DDA aims to end discrimination against disabled people in a range of circumstances including education, employment and the provision of goods and services.
There are many kinds of mental distress that people experience. No two individuals will be affected in the same way. The most common problems are:
You do not legally have to disclose a mental health problem unless you wish to do so or are asked directly about it during an interview. If you are asked specifically about your health or about a gap in your employment history and you do not disclose then you can be dismissed for deliberately withholding information. However, if no questions are asked and you don’t disclose mental health problems the employer could dismiss you if difficulties occur within the first year of your employment.
Research conducted by the Mental Health Foundation suggests that mental health problems among university students have increased in recent years. One in four of us is expected to experience a form of mental distress during the course of a year. Many of these problems will be to do with feeling low and anxious.
Research conducted by the Mental Health Foundation has found that nearly 3 in every 10 employees will have a mental health problem in any one year. The majority of these will be anxiety and depressive disorders. Mental health problems account for the loss of over 91 million working days every year.
The Health and Safety Executive recommends that a mental health policy should be an integral part of any organisation’s health and safety policy. The introduction of a mental health policy demonstrates an organisation’s commitment to this important issue.
Frequently the most difficult aspect of having a disability – whether that is physical or mental – is the attitude of other people. An equal opportunities policy covering mental health problems and raising staff awareness of issues of mental health through training along with a management commitment to a mental health policy can make a considerable impact on these. The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) places a duty on employers to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to prevent disabled employees being disadvantaged at work. The DDA also makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate on the grounds of disability. Many people with mental health problems will not require any adjustments to the working environment but by informing your employer of mental health problems it binds them to comply with the act and legally provide appropriate working arrangements when needed and to not discriminate against mental health problems when recruiting staff. People with long-term mental health problems may be eligible for assistance under the Access to Work scheme.
If you are concerned that your mental health difficulties could have a negative impact on your job search activities be proactive when trying to demonstrate your abilities to employers:
Make sure you take full advangage of the assistance available from your University Careers Service.
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