Mental health conditions are real but often invisible and affect one in four of us in the UK.

Some mental health problems are described using words that are in everyday use – for example, ‘depression’ or ‘anxiety’. The most commonly diagnosed forms are depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), phobias, bipolar disorder (formerly known as manic depression), schizophrenia, personality disorders and eating disorders.

Mental health is a broad term and the level of disability may be mild, moderate or severe. The main challenge with Mental Health is getting candidates or employees to discuss their needs for adjustments requiring sensitivity and patience. The impact of Mental Health conditions vary greatly and for some candidates may have no impact at all when it comes to assessments. For other people increased levels of anxiety, short term memory loss, getting easily confused may be an issue. There is no one size fits all for the provision of reasonable adjustments for candidates or employees with a mental health condition but for elements of a recruitment or appraisal process that are completed under pressure, or require self-reflection or personal discussions, there may be an increased challenge and some additional barriers.

The more you know about the individual the more you can support them, remember you don’t need to know the nature of the condition, you do need to know, in the context of the assessment or task you are asking them to undertake, do they envisage needing additional support or adjustments. If the candidate is discussing their disability with you, they may well be self-aware and able to discuss the best approach for them. If you have difficulty with communication and are unsure at any stage, always take advice.

Social Etiquette:

• Don’t make any assumptions;
• If the candidate is displaying non-typical behaviour or seems distressed, don’t ignore it, ask if/how you can help;
• Be patient and avoid making judgements;
• Remove any sources of stress or things that can cause confusion, such as multiple assessments, asking two questions at once, group situations or busy and crowded areas.
• Keep communication simple;
• Follow verbal instructions with written instructions to confirm understanding;
• Stick to the plan, avoid late changes in arrangements or a departure from the plan;
• Encourage the candidate to prepare in advance, providing information and samples so where possible such as practice tests in assessments.
• Offer telephone or email support to ensure understanding of the instructions;
• Give more time to ensure understanding and consider providing a friend or support worker to clarify the guidance and/or accompany them during the assessment;
• Be flexible on time of a face to face appointment – rush hour travel may be stressful;
• Note the individual may require a support person to help them access information.