(see Poster Gallery) Gender Differences in Public Attitudes Towards Bipolar Disorder in the Workplace

Background: Bipolar Disorder (BD) is associated with profound occupational impairments including high unemployment rates, high rates of absenteeism, and reduced productivity. Many employees with BD report high levels of negative attitudes from coworkers and supervisors and attribute their lack of professional development (i.e., demotion and termination) and work impairments to these experiences. Prior literature suggests that gender (male versus female) has a significant effect on one’s attitudes toward mental illness. However, the impact of gender on public attitudes towards individuals with BD in the workplace has not been studied. Further, a history of a personal diagnosis of BD or depression are also predictors of attitudes towards BD in the workplace. The overall aim of this study is to investigate gender differences in public attitudes towards working with a coworker with BD. We hypothesized that (1) gender and mood diagnosis will be significant predictors of public attitudes; (2) women will rate coworkers with BD more favorably than men; (3) individuals with a diagnosis of depression or BD will rate coworkers with BD more favorably than those without a diagnosis; (4) having a diagnosis of depression or BD will mediate the relationship between gender and public attitudes.

Methods: Participants (N=628) were recruited online via Qualtrics. They were randomized to read one vignette then complete an online survey of the Attitudes toward Individuals with Bipolar Disorder in the Workplace Scale assessing attitudes towards social acceptability, competency, reliability, advancement, and job demotion/loss. Multivariable linear regressions were conducted to determine significance between the predictor variables (gender, mood diagnosis), control variables (income, education, present mood) and the outcome variables (social acceptability, competency, reliability, advancement, and job demotion/loss). Mediation analyses were used to examine whether having a mood diagnosis mediated the relationship between participant gender and the outcome variables.

Results: Multivariable linear regressions indicated that gender (male/female) of the participant is a strong predictor of one’s attitudes towards BD in the workplace; men rated coworkers with BD as more socially acceptable, whereas women rated coworkers with BD as more competent and less likely to lose their jobs. Mediational analyses found that 8-17 percent of the relationship between gender and attitudes in the social acceptability and job loss/demotion domains are attributed to whether the participant has a personal diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) or BD.

Conclusions and Implications: These findings suggest that, although prior experience with mental illness or having a disorder oneself is important, gender plays a greater role in predicting public attitudes. These results have the potential to inform educational/intervention strategies targeting gender-specific, negative attitudes towards individuals with BD. Future studies on the development, evaluation, and implementation of strategies targeting gender-specific, negative attitudes towards individuals with BD could help improve attitudes in the workplace, in turn, improving retention among employed individuals with BD.