TWO in three Australians would avoid employing a person with a mental illness, new research has revealed.
Commissioned by not-for-profit employment services provider WISE Employment, the research showed half of all respondents believe people with a mental illness would be unreliable and disruptive.
WISE Employment is using Mental Health Week (which runs until Saturday) to launch Empowermental, a new campaign to break down stigma in the workplace.
Strategy and alliance general manager Matthew Lambelle said the widespread negative perceptions of mental illness did not match reality.
“The research reveals an underlying assumption among employers that mental illness will inhibit job performance, when in fact the two are not linked. A person with a mental illness can be the best person for the job.”
Three in four organisations that have employed someone with a mental illness described the experience as ‘positive’ or ‘very positive’.
Also as part of Mental Health Week, Western Region Health Centre (WRHC) has been running a series of activities to better help those in need.
Chief executive Lyn Morgain said the Better Health Plan in the West showed people in Melbourne’s west experienced higher levels of psychological distress than the state average.
“Mental Health Week is all about raising awareness of mental health and well-being, reducing stigma, and supporting those with a mental illness and their carers,” she said.
WRHC activities this week include the launch of a ‘young persons’ mental health program’ and a ‘hearing voices group’, both in Hoppers Crossing.
