TITLE:
Negative feelings experienced by people with mental disorder in the workplace: A qualitative study
AUTHORS:
Hatsumi Yoshii
KEYWORDS:
Mental Disease; Work Place; Negative Feelings
JOURNAL NAME:
Health,
Vol.5 No.9,
August
28,
2013
ABSTRACT: Mental disorders are
a significant cause of disability and loss of workplace productivity. Many
people with mental illness want to work. Occupational health in the world has
to face up to psychosocial risks to protect the health of employees. My study
aims are to improve negative feelings in work place and work functioning and to
stimulate better coping mechanisms. Participants were collected from “Mental
health daycare facility”, “Regional living assistance center” and “B-type
employment assistance office” in Japan. I took interviews with 25 members. The
content of the interviews was categorized about negative feelings in work
place. A total of 33 small category negative feelings of mental disorder were
extracted and were classified into 11 subcategories. These subcategories were
then classified into two higher-level categories: inward-directed feelings
and outward-directed feelings. Inward-directed feelings include “reserve or
timidity,” “hesitation about being open about the illness,” “anxiety about
being dismissed,” “regrets about resigning,” “sense of isolation,” “feelings of
remorse,” and “suffering.” Outward-directed feelings include “failure in interpersonal relationships,” “distrust,” “frustrations,”
“negative feelings toward those with mental disorder.” Employment
has been linked to having better social networks, to enhanced quality of life
and to overall wellbeing. We will have to defend them legally. The legal and
moral obligations placed on the employer require that it provides a
healthy, harassment-free work environment.