People with Mental Illness/Psychiatric Disabilities
Adapted from training materials developed by United Cerebral Palsy
Facts
- Most people believe that mental illnesses are rare. In fact, mental illnesses are common. An estimated 54 million Americans experience a mental illness in a given year (Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health, 1999).
- "Mental illness" is a term used to refer to a variety of disabilities that cause mild to severe disturbances in thought and/or behavior, sometimes resulting in an inability to cope effectively with the ordinary demands and routines of life.
With proper treatment, people with mental illnesses can lead healthy and productive lives, including service participation and membership. The treatment success rate for mental illness is often higher than for physical illness. - The most common mental illnesses include:
- Anxiety disorders: phobias, panic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders
- Mood disorders: major (or clinical) depression, bipolar disorder, dysthymia
- Schizophrenia and related disorders: schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorder
- Eating disorders: anorexia, bulimia
Interaction Tips
- Interact with individuals based on your experience with that person, not on assumptions about mental illness or a particular diagnosis.
- With one in five individuals experiencing mental illness every year, it is likely that you already interact with someone who has a mental illness.
Examples of Accommodations
- Allow a flexible work schedule. For example, it may be helpful to adapt regular hours to provide a break when medications reach their peak.
- Shift marginal functions-- service responsibilities that are not essential to the position.
©The National Service Inclusion Project is a cooperative agreement (#01CAM0016) between the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston in collaboration with the Association of University Centers on Disabilities.