Employment needs
True or False...
Employment needs for individuals with schizophrenia are the same.
What is False?
Like any other disability, every person experiences their disability differently. Every person may require certain personalized accommodations, employment needs, and/or personal needs. Some individuals may need more to be comfortable in their work setting whereas others may not need anything.
True or False...
All individuals with schizophrenia need workplace accommodations
What is False?
Not all individuals with schizophrenia need workplace accommodations. Using a calendar or planner like any other individual to stay organized is not anything out of the ordinary. These individuals function fairly independently.
The most common misconception with schizophrenia
What is split personality?
Often times outsiders set the stigma that individuals with schizophrenia are battling multiple personalities which deems them dangerous and unpredictable. According to a survey: "64 percent of the population is unable to recognize the symptoms associated with schizophrenia and instead simply believe that people with the disorder have “split” or multiple personalities." It makes sense how this misconception could drive potential employers/coworkers to be weary of the idea of someone who has split personalities. However, even if this was a side effect, properly understanding the disorder would make many people at ease about mental illness.
True or False
"...one person in five with schizophrenia has been able to work successfully in fulltime competitive employment and fewer than 50% work at all."
According to Knowledge and Use of Workplace Accommodations and Protections by Young Adults with Schizophrenia: A Mixed Method Study, only 1/5 individuals with schizophrenia have been able to successfully hold a full time position. These individuals need extended help and encouragement to work along side others as a team.
psychinfo
Gioia, D., & Brekke, J. S. (2003). Knowledge and use of workplace accommodations and protections by young adults with schizophrenia: A mixed method study. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 27(1), 59–68. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.und.edu/10.2975/27.2003.59.68
Seeman, M. V. (2009). Employment discrimination against schizophrenia. Psychiatric Quarterly, 80(1), 9–16. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.und.edu/10.1007/s11126-008-9089-8
True or False...
Individuals with schizophrenia are not interested in working.
What is False?
Most individuals that are diagnosed with schizophrenia are looking for employment. However, when looking for a job, they may disclose that they need different tools to be successful. This might make finding a job more difficult. Since mental illness is known as an "invisible disorder," many employers are unaware that a prospective employee may have a disability and may need assistance at the job. When asking for different tools or employment needs, it may be hard to do without disclosing what disability you have because it may not be not very obvious.
Five accommodations that could be put in place to assist in attentiveness and concentration?
What are cubicle doors, shields or shades, a modified break schedule, task separation, wall calendars and planners, and noise canceling headphones?
Cubicle doors and shields or shades would allow for the individual to work in a private environment while still being able to function in the same area as their co-workers. Possible limitations of this could be non-compliant work behavior and or behavioral issues.
A modified break schedule could give individuals the time they need to cool off if they get into an uncomfortable social situation or their thoughts get too disorganized to continue work.
Task separation could enable the individual to avoid disorganized thoughts. This may help them focus on a single task and improve productivity.
Wall calendars and planners may improve productivity as well as enhance single task work.
Noise canceling headphones can cancel out noise from co-workers that could be enhancers for hallucinations.
True or False...
Mental illness is stigmatized in the workplace.
What is True?
According to Can Stigma Prevent Employment, "discrimination lowers the probability that members of a stigmatized group will be hired, and their wages are significantly reduced if they are."
Often times, individuals with schizophrenia are discriminated against based on false beliefs. People may believe they have symptoms such as violence or split personalities when that is not the case.
The number one premature cause of death for individuals with schizophrenia
What is Suicide?
Suicide is the number one cause of premature death. According to Mental Illness Policy . Org around 10 to 13% of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia die by suicide. It states that "The extreme depression and psychoses that can result due to lack of treatment are the usual culprit in these sad cases."
psychinfo
Krupa, T. (2004). Employment, Recovery, and Schizophrenia: Integrating health and disorder at work. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 28(1), 8–15. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.und.edu/10.2975/28.2004.8.15
True or False...
The location of the job site matters.
What is True?
Often times with schizophrenia, individuals are either heavily medicated or on medications that do not allow them to drive. Being in an area where the individual could walk to their job site or get cheap available transportation would be a necessity for their safety. According to Mental illness Policy . Org: Although individuals with schizophrenia do not drive as much as other people, studies have shown that they have double the rate of motor vehicle accidents per mile driven. This may be due to being heavily medicated and/or having hallucinations or delusions while driving.
Three accommodations to improve organization.
What is organization software, timers and watches, and task separation tools?
Organization software such as Work Front, which digitally centralizes all work, processes and organizes all tasks into one system. Another example would be setting reminders on your phone's calendar to help stay organized and task focused.
Timers and watches would enable the individual to focus on one task for a set period of time and know when to complete the task and switch to a new one.
Task separation tools such as Hive, which allows for individualized collaboration and teamwork, would let the individual successfully complete their portion of the project while still being part of a team.
Four ways to reduce stigma
What is expand your knowledge, be open to conversations, use appropriate language, and show understanding?
When working with someone with schizophrenia, it is important to deeply understand what the mental illness actually consists of. Misconceptions lead to stigma and discrimination.
Being open to conversations will lead to expansion of knowledge and more understanding to what that individual is actually like instead of knowing the person for their mental illness.
Using appropriate language, such as person first language, will allow for the person with schizophrenia to feel more comfortable.
Showing understanding, compassion, and/or empathy will let the individual know that you are someone who they can turn too for support instead of someone who will judge them for who they are.
The most unpleasant serious side effect from antipsychotic medication
What is Tardive Dyskinesia?
According to Mental Illness Policy . Org this side effect causes jerky movements in parts of the body and involuntary facial movements. The side effect slowly stop once the medication is stopped.
psycharticles
Gioia, D., & Brekke, J. S. (2003). Knowledge and use of workplace accommodations and protections by young adults with schizophrenia: A mixed method study. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 27(1), 59–68. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.und.edu/10.2975/27.2003.59.68
Three ways to ensure work satisfaction
What are set realistic expectations, accept and give feedback, and build relationships with co-workers?
Setting realistic expectations is important for any individual in the work force - especially when dealing with a disability. Being able to set smaller goals to reach bigger goals would be one way to acknowledge the expectations you have for yourself as well as the expectations others have for you.
Accepting and giving feedback is a way to give and gain knowledge that will help you and coworkers in the future.
Building relationships is something that may be difficult for someone who does have schizophrenia because it may be hard for them to distinguish between who they can and cannot trust. If they suffer from hallucinations often or create delusions about the individuals they work with, it may be hard to convince themselves that they are good people.
True or False...
Most work accommodations for schizophrenia are low-tech and easy to incorporate into the workplace.
What is True?
Since Schizophrenia doesn't greatly affect mobility, there are not many high-tech accommodations that need to be incorporated. The main accommodations that are needed for an individual with schizophrenia are organization tools, tools for task separation, and apps that will enhance team work. All of these methods would be easy to incorporate into a workplace.
True or False...
Individuals with schizophrenia are dangerous.
What is False?
According to Psychologytoday.com: "In popular culture, individuals with schizophrenia are often depicted as sadistic, unpredictable, and violent." Yes, people with schizophrenia do commit crimes, but so do individuals without the disorder. The misconception and lack of knowledge about the disorder may make them seem unpredictable. When, in reality, if people would take the time to understand the disorder, they would no longer think that individuals with schizophrenia are dangerous or unpredictable. The same is with almost any other disability. The stigma gets jumpstarted by people's lack of knowledge on the subject.
True or False...
Work has the potential to provoke negative symptoms - especially in high stress situations that present many work-related challenges.
What is True?
Yes work does have the ability to enhance the individual's social skills as well as normalize their life. However, according to Employment, Recovery, and Schizophrenia: Integrating health and disorder at work, protection from stress is ultimately the best practice. Therefore, placing them in entry level work positions are often the positions in which have the most stress placed on the individual. In conclusion, finding that balance of work and stress is the ultimate goal.
Websites
Greenstein, L. a. (2017, October 16). NAMI. Retrieved March 20, 2020, from https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/October-2017/Can-Stigma-Prevent-Employment
Schizophrenia Fact Sheet. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2020, from https://mentalillnesspolicy.org/medical/schizophrenia.html
Two reasons why it is important for the individual to understand what they need from an employer.
What is to avoid getting taken advantage of and to perform at the best of their ability?
Individuals with any disability need to understand what they are entitled to at their place of employment. This includes what they are inclined to be payed, what resources they can ask for, and what they can do if the employer is not complying with their needs. Discrimination of any kind is prohibited in the work force. All individuals are entitled to ask for accommodations that are in reason. If the employer fails to comply to these requests, they are breaking Title I of the ADA and can be sued.
The most helpful accommodations - as stated by multiple individuals with schizophrenia
What are flexible scheduling, psychoeducation of supervisors, job modification, and attempts to change the ways peers interact with the individual with schizophrenia?
According to Employment Discrimination Against Schizophrenia these are the most helpful accommodations that can be made in the workplace. This can foster an environment that helps the individual with the disability perform at their best.
Flexible scheduling refers to the ability to switch to part-time, full-time, or at-home work.
Levels that stigmatization occurs on.
What is societal, interpersonal, and individual levels?
Individuals with schizophrenia experience stigmatization on a societal level by the public's general misconceptions of mental illness.
Interpersonal stigma comes from the preconceived notion that individuals with schizophrenia have poor social skills. Yes, they may have trouble expressing their emotions, but they are more than capable of having conversations.
Individual stigma has to be the hardest on individuals with schizophrenia. Internalizing all of the assumptions that people think about their disability would be hard to deal with. According to The CBHSQ Report: "The average number of cigarettes smoked in the past month was higher among adult smokers with any mental illness than among adult smokers with no mental illness (326 vs. 284 cigarettes)." This is one way individuals with mental illness cope poorly.
List four of the most common symptoms experienced by individuals with schizophrenia
What are Hallucinations, Delusions, Diminished abilities, and disorganized thinking?
According to the Job Accommodation Network, some common symptoms include: With hallucinations, these individuals believe what their mind is making them think, see, feel, or smell something that is not there. The hallucinations may be very real for the individual and even life threatening.
Delusions are when the individual will believe in something indefinitely, even if it is proven wrong. They may corrupt their mind with these beliefs until their concentration is compromised or they completely block out what others are saying.
Diminished abilities refers to their way of expressing how they feel. Their expressions/emotions are dull, interests in activities fade, and act similarly to someone who is depressed.
Disorganized thinking can be best described as a brain fog. It is hard for these individuals to concentrate, focus on individual tasks, or have trouble with memory.
websites
Lipari, R., & Van Horn, S. (2017, June 20). SMOKING AND MENTAL ILLNESS AMONG ADULTS IN THE UNITED STATES. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_2738/ShortReport-2738.html
Ryback, R. (2015, November 5). 4 Myths About Schizophrenia. Retrieved March 21, 2020, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-truisms-wellness/201511/4-myths-about-schizophrenia-and-the-facts-you-need-know