Are people with mental health problems discriminated against?

In 2007 Rethink ( a mental health organisation) asked people who use mental health services about their experiences of stigma ‘Your Shout’ 2007

Of the people asked Half said they keep their mental health problems secret at work 29% said they had been sacked from a job because of their mental health 22% said they had been refused a job because of their mental health problems Nearly half said they had decided not to apply for a job because they feared discrimination

The people asked also said That the stigma that surrounds mental health problems is the biggest problem they face – bigger than the symptoms of their mental health problems!

The Government Social Exclusion Unit asked people with mental health problems in 2004 whether they wanted to work Nearly all of them said they did But only 13% of them had a job

The Government also asked employers whether they would consider employing someone with a mental health problem Only 4 out of 10 said they would