Seema was found repeatedly washing her hands every 10 minutes, avoiding going to the food court in the office premises and also found panicking over the news updates of the virus. Some of her colleagues found her behavior to be weird, crazy and quirky. They advised her to stop her behavior and dismissed it as irrational. With this, Seema felt guilt, fear of stigma, panic, and loneliness. Seema is suffering from OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) and she is taking appropriate treatment for same. Many people like Seema are suffering from mental illness and disorders. There may be many reasons for the rise in mental illness from genetic to environmental issues. There is nothing to blame for the personality quirk or irrational beliefs of the sufferer. Unfortunately, there is a stigma attached to mental illness preventing the person to seek help and support. A stigma is a negative and often unfair social attitude attached to a person or group. The stigma attached to mental illness is impeding the ability to get married, hold on to a stable job, be in a long-term relationship or be socially included in mainstream society. Stigma may sometimes lead to discrimination in the workplace which worsens the person’s mental illness.

Invisible disability

Every year, December 3 has been observed as the “International Day of Persons with Disabilities”. The list of disability includes hearing impairment, locomotor disability, Thalassemia, Hemophilia, Mental illness and Multiple sclerosis. Not all persons with one or the other chronic medical condition are considered to have an invisible disability, only if the condition substantially limits one or more major life activities, it is considered a disability.

According to the 2011 census, 2.21% of the Indian population has some form of disability compared to 15% of the global average. With the introduction of the PWD (Person with Disabilities) Act,1995 the number of persons with disabilities will increase significantly. It is despairing to know that less than 1% of PWD s are employed in various sectors in India.

Mental Illness: An “invisible disability”

Mental illness has been recognized as one of the disabilities under the Person with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995. Accordingly, mental illness or mental disorder refers to a substantial disorder of thinking, mood, perception, orientation or memory that grossly impairs judgment, behavior etc., The Act empowers persons with disabilities and lays stress on non-discrimination, full and effective participation and inclusion in the society.

How can we be considerate towards them in the workplace?

Understanding mental illness is not easy. It's an illness like a physical illness. Many physical illnesses can be observed by sight or through some kind of instrumentation that can detect the disease inside the body. Mental illness cannot be seen through a microscope or an MRI, but is often detected by behavioral aspects the person demonstrates. We should understand that the person with mental illness does not want to be ill, nor did they ask for their illness. It is more like a physical illness with a different presentation. Here's what we can do

1. Before talking to someone, listen and watch for signs like impaired concentration, reduction in work quality, and less communication.
2. Be empathetic and compassionate towards them.
3. Before talking to them, it is important to make yourself aware of mental illness and educate yourself about the topic which would help you understand their struggles better.
4. Be empathetic towards others.
5. Be approachable.
6. You can support them by asking ‘how you can help’, and talking about the resources that the company is providing in this regard.
7. Use supportive language. Always be mindful of what you are saying.

What organisations can do to help support them

1. Organisations can provide a supportive work environment and culture by implementing and maintaining a strong policy against stigma around mental illness.
2. Establish a workplace mental health committee to create awareness, help, report and provide resources to address mental health issues.
3. They can also provide EAP and wellness programs to employees and their families and can sensitise managers and staff about detecting mental health issues among employees.
4. Resources like mental health handbooks, helpline numbers, and online counselling apps can be provided by the company’s HR department.

When people with mental health challenges are given due respect and value on the humanitarian grounds with empathy, compassion and inclusion in the workplace, it breaks the barriers of stigma and benefits the entire society.