Assessing employer attitudes toward hiring individuals with mental disabilities

Abstract

This research was a study to assess employers' attitudes toward hiring individuals with mental illness. The participants in this study were chosen at random and selected from a mailing list accessed from Projects With Industries (PWI). The employers were located in the Dunn county area, they were located in the towns of: Boyceville, Colfax, Dunn, Eau Galle, Elk Mound, Menomonie, Red Cedar, Spring Brook, and Tainter. Along with the questionnaire (n=400), a vignette describing a hypothetical job applicant with either schizophrenia (n=100), borderline personality disorder (n=100), depression (n=100), or no disability (n=100) was mailed to participants. Research shows high unemployment rates for individuals with mental illness. With this in mind, the current study explored employer concerns relating to hiring individuals with mental illness. Employer concerns that were explored in this study were: symptomology, work personality, administrative concerns, and work performance concerns. Results indicated that employers had the greatest reservations regarding hiring and working with individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. These results are consistent with previous research findings.