How will getting treated for bipolar affect my job?

June 16, 2009 6:38 PM

What are the repercussions of seeking treatment for bipolar disorder on my employability?

I'm in my mid 20's, in the UK. I am concerned that I have Bipolar Disorder, and am planning on speaking to my GP about it. However, a friend who has the condition has mentioned that I will "be added to a database" and have to "disclose that I'm bipolar at a job interview".

Given the current economic situation, I don't want to do anything that will prevent me from getting/keeping a job. I am currently employed, but after hearing that the information must be disclosed, I am concerned that after telling my superiors, I will be first in line if the company I work for does get into trouble. I realise that discrimination based on disability is illegal, but I'm smart enough to realise that rules have been broken before, and that there are all kinds of reasons to give, other than the real one, for firing someone.

My bipolar, if indeed I do have it, does not affect my job at all. In any case, I seem to have a mild case of something, but I never allow it to affect my work. I've been with my current company for over 6 years, with no problems. However, lots of cutbacks are being made, and I don't wish to raise my head above the parapet. I know that it shouldn't be a problem, but I'm not so green as to think that it won't be.

My question boils down to this: how will seeking/getting treatment for bipolar affect my working life? Personal experiences are welcome.

posted by anonymous to work & money (10 comments total)

The first step is to get diagnosed. You may have some type of depression that ISN'T bipolar. So, first things first, do some more research and get diagnosed. You may have dysthymia or something else entirely.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 7:13 PM on June 16

I doubt that the premise of your question is correct.

Your medical records are confidential, and a GP cannot disclose any details of a consultation with anyone. It would be a different story if you were admitted to hospital.

This is the case in Australia (and Australia is essentially big England) - Controversially GPs in the Northern Territory now must report any suspicion of sexual activity amongst minors- this is a red hot issues amongst the profession- and is seen as the "thin end of the wedge" - to invoke a cliche
posted by mattoxic at 7:30 PM on June 16

IDK about interview disclosure but the biggest work concerns I've seen related to bipolar involve running out of sick time due to extended hospital stays. One of my teacher friends who has bipolar also has a hard time explaining her extended absences to her students without disclosing her mental health issues. Not everyone who has bipolar will use the revolving door at the hospital, but it may arise. Good luck.
posted by ShadePlant at 8:01 PM on June 16

Ask your friend to cite the law that requires you to disclose your condition to potential employers. I don't know UK law, but I suspect that s/he doesn't either.
posted by decathecting at 8:21 PM on June 16

I'm much more familiar with the US's ADA than the UK's disability act, but it is my understanding that the UK's act is actually stricter. So, I don't know for absolute certain, but based on what I know of the ADA, there is no way that a doctor can keep you in a "database" and there is no obligation whatsoever to disclose during an interview.

If you want some sort of accommodation in the workplace, you may wait till after hire, then disclose and ask for specific accommodations. I would not disclose anything until then.

The only exception to doctor/patient confidentiality would be if your condition were determined to put yourself and others in danger. And then the medical people would only be obligated to tell your employer if your illness presented a specific threat to yourself or others at the workplace.

Get treatment, know your rights, keep it on the downlow as far as job hunting goes, at least initially.
posted by Bueller at 8:23 PM on June 16

Again I don't know disclosure obligations, but I would be _amazed_ if there were mandatory databases for this.

Anyway, here is my take on it. Mental health is one of the most important things anyone can ever have, and if it's at risk, I think almost anything is worth the risk in order to keep your health. Be it impacting work or relationships or your own functioning, if you can keep your mental health in good condition, it's worth doing. Bipolar or not, mental illness can be utterly debilitating. Even if mild, so much better to have it appropriately treated -- and know what help you would need should something more severe ever happen.

So, for your own piece of mind, check about mandatory disclosure laws, but assuming there aren't, get seen and take care of yourself. With appropriate care, you could hopefully avoid ever having to then go and explain to an employer why you can't do your job.
posted by davidnc at 9:04 PM on June 16

In most cases I think it wouldn't affect your job. However if you are say a pilot, then you would have problems. If you need a security clearance, you might also have problems.

That said, if your symptoms don't affect your work then it's probably not bipolar. If you were bipolar you would be suffering from such symptoms as insomnia, lack of concentration, irritability, flights of fancy and grandiose thinking followed by feelings of worthlessness, etc that would definitely have an impact on your day-to-day job performance. Treatment for such symptoms would be useful for most white collar workers, as being well-rested, alert, and clear-headed is generally better than the alternative. However, if these things aren't a problem for you, why get treated?
posted by crazycanuck at 10:44 PM on June 16

Perhaps your friend is thinking of Cheltenham Borough Council's lawsuit against a former chief executive, Christine Laird. The Council accused her of "fraudulently or negligently withholding details of a history of depressive illness when she became its managing director." She had subsequently spent a large amount of time on sick leave.

A few days ago the Judge ruled against the Council (see here). So while your friend's concern may have been based on valid grounds, it appears to be unnecessary. It could be worth researching this case in greater detail.

In my experience, UK employers often ask "do you have any mental illnesses?" (among others) on recruitment. It would be up to you whether or not you told the truth. The Guardian article indicates there is no previous instance of a similar lawsuit, so possibly your chances of being sued are remote. On the other hand, if you were actually being treated for bipolar at the time you filled out the form, that might suggest your situation was different from Ms Laird's (she had suffered depression in the past). [IANAL, obviously].

I echo davidnc that your best option is to seek treatment.

Personal anecdotes: have had several bouts of depression. Two employers didn't know I was being treated, another found out by reading my blog and was perfectly sympathetic, both in a professional sense from the organisation and in a personal sense from my manager. I don't see why you should have to disclose your situation to your employer, but at some point it might be necessary (if for example you end up receiving therapy, you may have to give them a reason for taking time off each week).

Good luck - there are both medical and therepeutic treatments available that will hopefully have you feeling better soon.
posted by Infinite Jest at 4:28 AM on June 17

This website has some advice about whether or not to disclose your mental health issues to employers. Disclosure is a personal choice; the main reason why people often do disclose is because they need their employers to accommodate their disability in some significant way. Since you don't think this will be an issue for you, you're well within your rights to not disclose.

You have basic rights to medical confidentiality, which your doctor cannot violate. This website gives an overview of the medical confidentiality laws for the UK. If a doctor plans on disclosing any information about patients' medical condition and/or treatment to an outside party, they must "inform patients about the disclosure, or check that they have already received information about it" and "seek patients’ express consent to disclosure of information, where identifiable data is needed for any purpose other than the provision of care or for clinical audit."

Disease registers do exist, but they are subject to the limitations of confidentiality laws as well:

"Patients must be informed at the earliest opportunity, in writing, or face to face, if identifiable information about them will be passed to registers. They must also be informed of the nature of the information to be disclosed, who will receive the information and the purpose of the disclosure. If patients object to the disclosure, you must comply with their wishes if it is possible to do so. If it is not possible, you must explain the reasons for this to the patient and the options open to them. You must keep a record of such discussions and their outcome."

Cases where it "is not possible" to comply with a patient's request for nondisclosure generally involve extreme situations, like a dangerous and communicable disease.

If you're still concerned about your employers and confidentiality, I would suggest just talking to your GP about it. You can ask for information about your rights regarding mental illness disclosures before you actually sit down and get diagnosed, and if you don't feel comfortable with what your doctor tells you, you don't have to proceed.

In my personal experience, getting treated for mental illness has made me much more employable. I'm happier, more confident, more dependable. Most employers would rather have an employee who's being treated for mental illness than one who is suffering untreated.
posted by bookish at 7:33 AM on June 17 [1 favorite]

When I accepted a job with a radio station in Manchester, I was given a health questionnaire to tick. I absent-mindedly ticked the box that said mild depression, as well as the box that authorised the radio station doctor to get a hold of my medical records.

I was immediately summoned to the HR Director's office - in Leeds - who looked at me, very concerned, and asked me at length and detail as to why I'd ticked that box. And this is for a radio station where probably most of the employees have various mental/drug issues!

While it was all phrased in terms of "making sure our workers are healthy, safe and happy", I think if there had been any doubt from the HR director as to my mental stability, they would have rescinded my job application tout suite. (And to be fair to the employers, they probably didn't want some new employee going postal on them one day)

Moral of the story:

- Get treatment.
- Keep your medical records confidential.
posted by almostwitty at 5:13 AM on June 23