Should You Discuss Your Mental Health at Interview

Simple answer. No. Don’t mention your mental health at interview. Why? Because (sadly) people will likely discriminate against you.

Maybe the title could read differently?

Should You Be Encouraged to Discuss Your Mental Health at Interview?

Absolutely. 100%.

We all have mental health challenges at various points in our lives. We might or might not acknowledge them, we might or might not take medication for them, and they might or might not affect how we go about our days. But we all have those moments where our brains aren’t quite doing what they should be doing.

To talk about myself for a minute, although I have never really investigated it, I might well be on the lower end of the autism spectrum. I have experienced fleeting feelings of depression and anxiety in the past and I definitely feel slightly lonely now and again. I have never taken a pill for anything like this, not even sleeping pills. That doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t have classed myself as on the verge of getting “mentally ill” at specific tricky points in life.

There have been a few.

However, I am fortunate to count myself as pretty mentally “fit.”

Look after your mind

Many people have significant mental health conditions that they do need help with. The illness of mental health is precisely that. An illness. There are treatments, and there are ways to make life easier for many afflicted.

It starts with the understanding that someone struggling with an aspect of their mental health is not a zombie from another planet. The majority can work perfectly effectively. While they are dealing with (and hopefully overcoming) their inner battles, they want to live as “normally” as possible.

Alongside potential medical interventions, they need support and understanding.

Talking about it with friends and colleagues who care often helps too.

So, when people walk into an interview and try to understand whether they would “fit” with a potential future employer, they might decide not to mention that they suffer from depression or have PTSD (for example). Much that they would probably prefer it not to be, it is part of who they are. It should be viewed through an empathetic and caring lens.

“I have depression, and it affects me in certain ways, but I cope with it. Actually, it has given me a different perspective on life.”

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you felt able to say that in an interview (or in the office) in the knowledge that you not would be judged?

This taboo subject is not just avoided in interviews.

So many corporate types swagger around the office with an air of invincibility. Loathe to reveal any weakness and dissuade others from doing so. A fragile edifice of perfection with cracks that are ready to erupt at any moment….

Exploring mental health with an open mind

I don’t profess to be an expert in this topic, but it won’t stop me from exploring it now and again. Some of what I have just written might be a little ignorant of the realities, but my message is a simple one.

If we are to build a more tolerant and understanding workplace, this has to be reflected in conversations at the interview when you are looking to attract the best people to your business. The “best” person might have a mental health challenge, but if they feel that their future employer will accept them as they are, they will be happy to talk about it a little.

Bringing “your whole self” to an interview is an excellent start to a fulfilling new career.

And that includes all the stuff you wish you could hide (but can’t).

Mental health matters. Please spread the word.

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This blog is shared with Job Seeker Duetists. 

Written by former recruitment ghostwriter Paul Drury (not AI).