Skip to main content
Submitted by Tdutt on 19 May 2017

Severe mental illness like Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder can get better with appropriate care. But when it begins to raise its disturbing head again in a person, it tends to have a few telltale signs. Tanya Dutt, founder of AtmaNirbhar explains how it is important for an employer to recognise and manage these situations at a workplace.

Work is an important part of our lives and well being and is a key factor in the recovery of a person battling a mental health issue like Schizophrenia. For a person with mental illness, being gainfully employed increases self-esteem, gives a sense of being valued and productive, helps in functionality and forming an identity.  In an everyday situation our environment is filled with stress and unpredictability and a person will mental ill health might be vulnerable to certain factors which even with the timely management of the illness, could lead to a relapse of the illness. 

Relapses are the return of symptoms of the illness after a period of time when no symptoms are present. Is it possible to circumvent a relapse? As an employer of persons with mental illness, what are the five signs of a relapse to watch out for at the work place and what you could do in these situations.

Five signs that indicate a relapse could be imminent and ways to address these issues

1. Absence from the work place

When the individual who has been fairly regular at work begins to take leave often or refuses to do any work preferring to do nothing for long periods of time, the supervisor should pay attention to signs of distress before the individual completely stops showing up for work.

2. Personal hygiene

When the individual begins to suddenly show up at work in a dishevelled and unkempt manner for several days or if their personal hygiene is lacking, there could be a  possibility of underlying distress.

3. Disturbed behaviour

When the individual who has been relatively polite and articulate begins to display signs of aggression or withdraws into extended periods of silence, there is a need to address the situation.

4. Communication lapse

When the individual starts communicating in disjointed sentences, incoherent language or slurry speech, these issues should be addressed immediately.

5. Delusional Thoughts

When the individual begins to verbalise their delusions in an effort to convince everybody around them, the possibility of a relapse is imminent.

How do we deal with this

The Supervisor/Manager must

  1. Ascertain whether the work environment is conducive to the individual’s performance or whether the individual is either overworked or under motivated to perform his work.
  2. Ascertain if there is any friction between individual’s relationship with co workers and managers.
  3. Communicate with the caregivers if required.
  4. Provide support to the individual to return to work once he gets well.

At any point of time the supervisor/employer should have an open and empathetic line of communication with the individual. When signs of a relapse begin to exhibit the supervisor must be proactive in looking for the source of distress - whether the distress is environmental or organic and provide support as required.

AtmaNirbhar is a non-profit that is focussed on creating gainful employment opportunities for persons with severe mental illness. Atmanirbhar manages four retail stores employing 18 individuals with mental ill health. The recommendations above are based on the experiences at AtmaNirbhar.

If you have a question as an employer or a caregiver or a person with mental illness you can write in here

Stories

  • A man in a suit and with his work bag, sitting on steps, looking downwards and worried
    चिन्ता और डिप्रेशन कम करने के १२ नुस्खे
    कैम गिलर, संज्ञानात्मक व्यवहार मनोचिकित्सक, चिन्ता और अवसाद का सामना करने के आसान नुस्खे बताती हैं । साथ ही, अपने दिमाग की नकारात्मक आवाज़ को कैसे रोका जा सकता है क्या आप उदास, चिंतित, नकारात्मक महसूस कर रहें हैं ? निम्नलिखित कूट नीतियां  आपको इन भावनाओं का बेहतर सामना करने और खुश रहने में मदद करेंगी। 1.   अपने लिए कुछ समय निकालें धीमी गति से सांस लें, आराम करें, संगीत सुनें, ध्यान करें, मालिश कराऐं, या विश्राम  तकनीकें सीखें। समस्या से पीछे हटने से दिमाग को शांति मिलती है।…
  • A framed pic of young teen boy
    It Is Time To Stop Getting Uncomfortable About Grief
    We have to break the silence surrounding grief, especially around death by suicide, and learn to deal with sorrow in a healthy and sensitive manner, writes psychologist Chandra Ramamurthy. I am a Clinical Psychologist by training. I lost my son, Naman Dutt, age 17 years, by possible suicide. The reason why I say possible suicide is because the circumstances of his death still baffle me. Naman was diagnosed with depression and though I have seen severe clinical depression in my practice, I never…
  • Building Emotional Resilience For Persons With Chronic Conditions and Disabilities
    Emotional Resilience for Persons with Disabilities and persons with chronic conditions with Clinical and Rehabilitation Psychologist Divya Parashar. This was in the context of the COVID pandemic but there are lessons in there for all times. We talked about What is emotional resilience Anxieties faced by people with disabilities What is psychological resilience What makes people resilient How to build psychological resilience Effects of suspension of therapy due to covid How to overcome…
  • Are Sleep Disturbances Indicative of Mental Illness?
    Sleep disorders may make a person more vulnerable to psychiatric illnesses, intensify the severity of the symptoms points out Dr Nileena N.K.M, Specialist in Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine, and stresses the importance of better sleep for better life. Plus Tips For Good Sleep. What is the correlation between mental health and sleep? Sleep and mental health go very much hand in hand in our day to day life. Many of the psychiatric illnesses are seen to be associated with sleep complaints and…
  • A poster that says Congenital Heart Disease
    My Baby Had A 11 Hour Surgery For Congenital Heart Disease
    A diagnosis of Congenital Heart Disease can be earth-shattering for a new mom. A mother shares the series of corrective surgeries her young baby has to go through, the effect this diagnosis had on her and the family and how she has dealt with it. Initial Symptoms 2 days after my son was born, I turned to my husband and said “ I have never been happier in my life!” Little did I know my joy was going to hit a major speed bump less than 24 hours later. The paediatrician who was part of my labour…
  • शय्याग्रस्त रोगी के लिए 7 सामान्य स्वास्थ्य सम्बन्धी जोखिम
    शय्याग्रस्त रोगी लम्बे समय तक कोई गतिविधि नहीं कर पाते हैं। इस कारण उन्हें अनेक स्वास्थ्य जटिलताओं हो सकती हैं, जैसे कि दर्दनाक शय्या व्रण (बेडसोर), रक्त संचार  और सांस-संबंधी समस्याएँ, अवसाद और अवकुंचन (कॉनट्रैक्चर)। इसं लेख में उषा रवि ने आपके शैय्याग्रस्त प्रियजन की उचित नर्सिंग और देखभाल के लिए कुछ सुझाव दिए हैं: अगर कोई व्यक्ति बीमारी, विकलांगता या बड़ी उम्र की वजह से बिस्तर-बद्ध है तो इससे कई चुनौतियां उत्पन्न हो सकती हैं। यह बोझ पीड़ित के साथ-साथ देखभालकर्ताओं को भी महसूस होता है।…
  • A profile pic of a young woman who is a CKD warrior
    CKD is not the end of life. Find a purpose. Live for it!
    Sejal Jobanputra, 39 from Mumbai has been on dialysis for the last 13 years after her transplant failed. Strong antibiotics also made her deaf. But she has been fighting CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease), pain and depression all these years like a true fighter. Please tell us a bit about your condition I am suffering from kidney failure and I have been on dialysis for the past 13 years. I have also been deaf for last 12 years. When were you diagnosed? I was diagnosed in 2003 What were the early…
  • 11 Common Myths And Misconceptions About Depression
    While there is a lot of talk on depression, there are still a lot of myths and misconceptions about it. Psychiatrist Dr. Sweta Sheth from Bengaluru sheds light on some of the common myths.  As a psychiatrist, depression is one of the most common illnesses I see and treat. I call it an illness, because it is one. A serious, sometimes debilitating illness, which often remains hidden and undiagnosed. It’s not just a state of being sad or low when things aren’t going right for you. We see it…
  • Managing Migraines Is About The Effort You Put In Every Day
    Rachna*, 39 from Mumbai shares her journey with migraine and how the fear of managing migraine attacks with a small new born baby led to post partum depression and her attempts to find solutions that work.  Symtoms and Diagnosis: I was diagnosed with Migraine 10 years ago, soon after my wedding. The first time, I remember being at home; it was mid morning. There was sudden onset of acidity and aching in my head. A few hours later, I was vomiting. I called my husband and that evening after…
  • Sisters Act to Fight Depression With Purpose
    Here is a real life narrative of three sisters who rally around their fourth sibling who has severe depression and schizophrenia to save and support her from spiralling out of control and giving her a purpose in life. *** Trigger Warning We are four sisters. My third sister (Ranu*) suffers from depression and schizophrenia. We have been taking care of her since our earliest recollection. The Early Years We had a very difficult childhood. We lost our father early. He was a patient of depression…