Can a person with a mental illness work?

The main diseases that prevent work are depressive disorders, bipolar disorder and psychotic disorders, since they make it difficult to concentrate and decrease productivity. Although it is true that each person is different, and lives the processes of life in extremely varied, suffering from one of these mental disorders can hinder insertion and development in the field labor.

They say that the fact of working allows people to access opportunities and benefits in the daily life, but it is often overlooked that the characteristics of each one could mark the difference. In this sense, what employment possibilities does a person have who has experienced situations of stress and/or high anxiety? Are there resources so that anyone can join a work environment? How is the relationship of a human being diagnosed with a psychological disorder with her environment? In this Psychology-Online article, we will talk about Yeaha person with a mental illness can work.

Index

1. How mental disorders affect work
2. Mental illnesses that prevent work
3. What rights do people with mental illness have in the workplace?

First of all, we must bear in mind that mental disorders vary in their intensity and presentation. In this sense, while some people may see various areas of their life affected and present great difficulties, others will be able to carry out activities without major complications. Here factors such as age, genetic background, family history, social context, among others, come into play.

Here's how mental disorders can affect work:

• Difficulty in achieving work goals: In some cases, work environments impose objectives that must be met within certain periods of time. However, mental disorders can prevent this from being carried out under the expected parameters.
• lack of productivity: clinical pictures that involve considerable severity can have the effect of a decrease in the maintenance of concentration, attention and memory. Also, here there are complications in relationships with colleagues and labor authorities.
• Social problems: Many people with diagnosed mental disorders are likely to have difficulty establishing lasting social relationships that are useful at work. This is not only the responsibility of colleagues and bosses, but also potential clients.

In this article you will find all Types of mental disorders and their characteristics.

Although we are talking about mental illnesses, it is necessary to make certain distinctions to avoid confusion. In this area, conceptual clarity is crucial to develop possibilities according to the areas of life that are affected. Next, we show you which are the main mental illnesses that prevent you from working:

depressive disorders

People with depressive symptoms who are not treated they may be prone to showing great inability to work. This is generated as a consequence of the lack of will and desire, conditions typical of the clinical picture, as well as complications in the control of time, money and social relationships.

In the following article you will find information about How to help a person with depression.

Bipolar disorder

At a certain point, bipolarity constitutes another pathology that can cause serious difficulties in the working day as a consequence of the manic and depressive periods. These episodes can cause the person to enter moments of exaltation and euphoria typical of mania.

Likewise, difficulties in performing tasks could arise in both phases of this mental disorder. Therefore, as happens in depressive disorders, in these cases it would be necessary to establish a professional follow-up.

psychotic disorders

People who have alterations in the perception of reality may also have impediments when it comes to working. In these cases delusions and hallucinations of paranoia and schizophrenia are common.

These delusions can generate major conflicts at work because the presence of these phenomena represents a decrease in labor productivity. Here we explain How to deal with a psychotic break.

Finally, it should be mentioned that people with this type of difficulty should not be left out of the labor market, since they have the resources to deal with specific situations. Therefore, in this section we show you what rights people with a mental illness have in the workplace:

• Protection against physical and verbal abuse: no one should be harassed or harmed by insults, insults and blows from both employers and co-workers.
• Protection against discrimination: despite the fact that mental disorders have a validity that lasts over time, no person can exercise power against people diagnosed with any clinical condition.
• Protection against sexual degradationAny type of illegal exercise of sexuality by a person with a mental illness is considered a crime, since it violates their will.

This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Can a person with a mental illness work?, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.

• Mingote Adán, J.C., Del Pino Cuadrado, P., Sánchez Alaejos, R., Gálvez Herrer, M., Dolores Gutiérrez García, M. (2011). The worker with mental health problems. General guidelines for detection, intervention and prevention. Medicine and Occupational Safety Magazine, 57 (1), 188-205.