Coping with mental health conditions at work and its impact on self-perceived job performance

PurposeThis exploratory qualitative study examines both the impact of mental health conditions on self-perceived job performance and how individuals with mental health conditions cope with their conditions at work.Design/methodology/approachA total of 257 responses to a qualitative questionnaire and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Employee relations 2020-03, Vol.42 (3), p.626-645
Main Authors: Hennekam, Sophie, Richard, Sarah, Grima, François
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Business administration
Coping
Employees
Employment
Humanities and Social Sciences
Job performance
Mental disorders
Mental health
Mental health care
Qualitative research
Stigma
Stress
Working conditions
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Summary:PurposeThis exploratory qualitative study examines both the impact of mental health conditions on self-perceived job performance and how individuals with mental health conditions cope with their conditions at work.Design/methodology/approachA total of 257 responses to a qualitative questionnaire and 17 in-depth interviews with individuals with mental health conditions are analyzed.FindingsThe findings show that mental health conditions can negatively impact self-perceived job performance in the form of lower quality of one's work, slower pace, and more mistakes. In addition, the findings reveal coping strategies that positively and negatively affect one’s performance at work. Strategies that negatively influence one’s performance include substance abuse and self-harm, suppressing and hiding one's symptoms, and forcing oneself to continue to work when feeling unwell. Coping strategies that tend to positively affect their performance include accepting one's condition and taking time off, medication and counseling, mindfulness activities, transparent communication, humor, and a compensation strategy.Originality/valueA growing number of individuals struggle with mental health conditions at work, impacting both organizations and employees. However, little is known about the influence of mental health conditions on one's performance at work, how individuals cope with their mental health conditions at work, and what effect those coping strategies have on organization-relevant outcomes.
ISSN:0142-5455
1758-7069
DOI:10.1108/ER-05-2019-0211