Many people feel comfortable disclosing everything about their personal lives online. This can be beneficial, as people often find support for the struggles they are dealing with. However, there are still stigmas surrounding a variety of mental health conditions, which can lead people to being viewed in a negative light. As mental health disclosures become increasingly popular, even on “professional” social media sites like LinkedIn, they may ultimately lead to unintended negative consequences.
THE RESEARCH STUDY
This study (McChesney & Foster, 2024) used 409 participants who all had previous hiring experience and randomly assigned them to evaluate applicant profiles that either contained a disclosure of mental health issues (i.e., depression, anxiety) or did not. The researchers found that when applicants disclosed their struggles with anxiety and depression on their LinkedIn profiles, they were rated as less emotionally stable and less conscientious than applicants who did not disclose this information. This occurred no matter the gender or age of both the applicant and the evaluator.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Despite the growing acceptance of mental health struggles, this study shows there is still room to improve. In light of this, people and organizations should consider doing the following:
- Consider whether social media evaluations need to be part of the hiring process.
- Offer mental health bias training for hiring professionals. Often, decisions and ratings are based on implicit factors. By making hiring professionals aware of these potential biases, organizations can work to reduce the impact that disclosures have.
- Be careful about what you post online, even on LinkedIn. While no one should be shamed for sharing mental health struggles, job seekers should consider carefully before posting, as there can still be some risk associated with these disclosures.
McChesney, J., & Foster, L. (2024). Is it #okaytosay I have anxiety and depression? Evaluations of job applicants who disclose mental health problems on LinkedIn. Journal of Business and Psychology, 39, 779-795.
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