Stigma in the Mental Health Workplace: Perceptions of Peer Employees and Clinicians

Abstract

Informed by a structural theory of workplace discrimination, mental health system employees' perceptions of mental health workplace stigma and discrimination against service recipients and peer employees were investigated. Fifty-one peer employees and 52 licensed behavioral health clinicians participated in an online survey. Independent variables were employee status (peer or clinician), gender, ethnicity, years of mental health employment, age, and workplace social inclusion of peer employees. Analysis of covariance on workplace discrimination against service recipients revealed that peer employees perceived more discrimination than clinicians and whites perceived more discrimination than employees of color (corrected model F=9.743 [16, 87], P=.000, partial ŋ (2)=.644). Analysis of covariance on workplace discrimination against peer employees revealed that peer employees perceived more discrimination than clinicians (F=4.593, [6, 97], P=.000, partial ŋ (2)=.223).