Samenvatting
Dat veel mensen met psychische problemen (tijdelijk) niet aan het arbeidsproces deelnemen komt niet enkel door hun aandoening, maar ook door het stigma dat rust op psychische problemen. Onderzoek wijst uit dat er onder werkgevers en leidinggevenden een negatief beeld bestaat van mensen met psychische problematiek. Dit negatieve beeld kan hen benadelen bij sollicitaties, promoties en andere carrièrekansen. Ook durven werknemers met psychische klachten vaak niet over hun psychische gezondheidsproblemen te praten, waardoor werkgever en werknemer de kans mislopen om door tijdelijke werkaanpassingen langdurige uitval te voorkómen. Tenslotte worden werknemers door geanticipeerde discriminatie en door zelfstigma ontmoedigd om relevante actie te ondernemen, zoals solliciteren of een opleiding volgen. Wanneer we de arbeidsparticipatie van mensen met psychische problemen daadwerkelijk willen vergroten moeten we daarom dit onderwerp serieus nemen en meer kennis en interventies ontwikkelen om stigma tegen te gaan.
Summary
The fact that the participation of people with mental health problems in the workforce is often hampered is not only due to their health problems. An important barrier for work participation is the stigma that is associated with mental health problems. Several studies have shown that employers commonly express negative attitudes towards employees with mental health problems, which can negatively affect the career opportunities of these workers. For fear of being stigmatized, workers prefer not to discuss their mental health problems at work. Therefore, both employer and employee miss out on the opportunity to arrange temporary work adaptations that could prevent long term absenteeism. In addition, anticipated discrimination and self-stigma discourage workers to take relevant actions that increase their chances of successful work participation, such as applying for work or training. In conclusion, if we wish to enhance work participation of people with mental health problems, we need to acknowledge the negative impact of stigma and to develop knowledge and effective interventions to combat its effects.
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Dr. E.P.M. Brouwers, Tilburg University, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tranzo.
Correspondentieadres: e.p.m.brouwers@tilburguniversity.edu
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Brouwers, E. Stigma op psychische problemen is een barrière voor arbeidsparticipatie. TBV - Tijdschr Bedrijfs- en Verzekeringsgeneeskd 24, 155–157 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12498-016-0060-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12498-016-0060-6