Attitude of the employer in Lebanon toward candidates and employees with a stable chronic mental illness

Objective: Research and study the Lebanese employers’ attitudes, toward recruiting candidates with a mental illness and toward their employees who suffer chronic mental illnesses (A CMI) and the factors that may play a role in affecting it. Methods: A combined cross sectional and retrospective study. Interviews conducted with a mix of 63 human resource managers and high executive employees to assess the integration of people with A CMI at the workplace, and the attitudes toward them. Results: Primarily, the engagement of an occupational physician or a social worker in the process, was associated with a reduction in stigma surrounding the subject matter. Moreover, hiring a candidate with A CMI was perceived as a social image improvement of the hiring company. However, A CMI employees were perceived as having lower efficiency and self-esteem, as well as a greater vulnerability to dismissal. Conclusion: The presence and engagement of an occupational physician, and/or a social worker, has been found to be the main positive stigma modulator against mental illness, in a corporate setting.