Managers’ perceptions of mental illness in Barbadian workplaces: an exploratory study
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JMHTEP-09-2016-0047 |
| Date | 08 May 2017 |
| Pages | 161-172 |
| Published date | 08 May 2017 |
| Author | Dwayne Devonish |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health,Mental health education |
Managers’perceptions of mental
illness in Barbadian workplaces:
an exploratory study
Dwayne Devonish
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceptions of private and public sector managers in
Barbados regarding the concepts of mental health and illness at work. It also explored their interactions and
experiences with persons with mental illness at work and various forms of support and resources needed to
improve the overall management of these persons within the organisational setting.
Design/methodology/approach –This qualitative study used an exploratory research design based on
two focus groups of private and public sector managers.
Findings –The findings revealed that both private and public sector managers understood the distinction
between the concepts of mental health and mental illness. However, managers believed that high levels of
stigma and discrimination exist in both private and public sector workplaces due to a lack of understanding of
mental illness, cultural norms, and socialisation in Barbados regarding mental illness and negative
stereotypes. However, workplace education and promotion, associated workplace policies, and employee
assistance programmes (EAPs) were identified as key strategies for effectively addressing issues of mental
health stigma and the management of persons with mental illness at work.
Research limitations/implications –Due to the qualitative approach used and small sample selected
based on non-probability sampling, generalising the findings to larger populations is heavily cautioned.
Practical implications –Organisations in both private and public sectors should emphasise workplace
mental health interventions such as mental health education and awareness, the development and
implementation of supportive and flexible policies, and EAPs. These strategies are likely to help
destigmatisation efforts and enhance managers’understanding of mental health and the management of
persons with mental illness.
Originality/value –Thisstudy provided a richand in-depth understanding of mentalhealth and illnessfrom the
perspective of privateand public sectormanagers ina small developingcountry in the Caribbean.The Caribbean
region possesses a dearth ofempirical research concerning issuesof mental health and illnessat work.
Keywords Management, Mental health, Mental illness, Stigma, Caribbean
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Societal perceptions of mental illness
A large body of contemporary research evidence suggests that societal perceptions of mental
health and illness in both developing and developed countries are pervasively negative, biased,
and reflect a lack of sound education and understanding of these concepts among the general
population. This body of research (Brockington et al., 1993; Taylor and Dear, 1981) has also
revealed that stigma related to mental illness is a function of three classes of factors inclusive of
fear and exclusion –the belief that persons with mental illness are to be feared and ostracised
from society, authoritarianism –the belief that persons with mental illness are irresponsible and
incapable of making logical and sensible decisions (and their life decisions should be made by
other “sane”and competent persons), and benevolence –the belief that persons with mental
illness are childlike and require significant care and attention. Other research has also uncovered
Received 26 September 2016
Revised 5 January 2017
7 January 2017
Accepted 8 February 2017
Dwayne Devonish is a Senior
Lecturer at the Department
of Management Studies,
University of the West Indies,
Bridgetown, Barbados.
DOI 10.1108/JMHTEP-09-2016-0047 VOL. 12 NO. 3 2017, pp. 161-172, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1755-6228
j
THE JOURNAL OF MENTALHEALTH TRAINING, EDUCATION AND PRACTICE
j
PAGE161
To continue reading
Request your trial