Employer-Provided and Self-Initiated Job Accommodations for Workers with Serious Mental Illness

DISCUSSION: This is the first study of job accommodations among a cohort of persons with SMI independently employed in regular jobs. We identify a type of accommodation, self-initiated by the worker, that has not been studied before. These self-initiated accommodations are far more prevalent than employer-provided accommodations in our sample. Key factors associated with the probabilities of requesting/initiating accommodations reflect need (e.g. compromised health) and feasibility of implementation in a particular job. Limitations of the study include the cross-sectional design which limits our ability to identify causal relationships.IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH CARE PROVISION AND USE: Providers who deliver vocational services for workers with SMI should be aware of the many ways these employees can accommodate their illness on their own, without the necessity of disclosing SMI to an employer.IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH POLICIES: Our results recommend workplace policies that support disclosure and employer-provided accommodations, as well as policies that create flexibility for employees to initiate their own accommodations.IMPLICATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: Given the prevalence of workers' self-initiated accommodations, it is imperative that research on job accommodations for workers with serious mental illness includes consideration of these types of accommodations.PMID:38115753
Source: Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Source Type: research