Today on #JobAdviceSA we are going to be answering questions in regard to how mental health issues should be dealt with in the hiring process, employment and in taking care of yourself generally.
World Mental Health Awareness Day is celebrated on the 10th October every year, and seeks to raise the normally taboo subject of mental health and promote understanding of its effects and consequences. Many people do not consider common conditions such as stress, depression, alcohol or other substance abuse as mental illnesses which is why it is so vital to increase awareness so that people can seek treatment.
A study by South African Stress & Health (SASH) in 2014 determined that a third of South Africans would suffer from mental illnesses or disorders during their lifetime, though this figure is probably significantly higher given most people’s tendency not to seek treatment for mental health issues (especially men). This makes mental health an extremely important issue when it comes to looking for work and how work impacts your mental health.
Here are the questions that will be answered by myself (@TimJBarry), Vanessa Raath (@Van_Raath) and Wesley Madziva (@WeszMadz) today on Twitter between 16h00 and 17h00:
Q1. When should you disclose whether you have a mental illness and/or are taking medication in an interview?
Q2. When should you tell your employer that you are suffering from a mental illness?
Q3. How should employers and co-workers treat a colleague who is suffering from a mental illness?
Q4. What should you do if you think that you might be suffering from a mental illness?
You can follow or join in with the conversation on Twitter by searching for the hashtag #JobAdviceSA or following @JobAdviceSA and you are welcome to ask any additional questions or give your own answers to the questions above. We look forward to chatting with you later today!
