to lie on this form when I get to the questions about mental health?

[bintofbohemia]

I need to register with a recruitment agency who need me to fill in a form which wants to know, amongst other things, whether I have ever suffered from anxiety and depression.

I came off a 6 month course of anti depressants in January after being diagnosed with PND - although actually it could have been more to do with the fact that I just hadn't slept for more than an hour at a time in over ten months (not an exaggeration) and also had an awful lot of family problems.

I also had depression ten years ago after leaving uni, struggling to get a job, being cheated on by my boyfriend and losing my grandmother.

I don't see why I have to declare these things, as they were both reactions to fairly extreme situations which I don't forsee happening in the near future (hopefully!) - but lets face it, who's going to employ someone like me if I'm honest about this? I just find it intrusive, possibly even discriminatory and am tempted not to mention it. They would never be able to verify it anyway unless my doctor breached confidentiality rules, surely?

IABU?

I don't think YABU. I think I;ve done the same in the past... I suffered with panic attacks for a short period in my life but I never mention it on any forms (unless medical).

The only possible repercussion I can think of is being eligible for sick pay if you need time off for mental health issues if you hadn't been honest about past problems...but even then I'm not sure that would ever come up...

Don't lie. It's not only disingenuous on your part you could be liable for fraud. It's the same as lying about your qualifications.
It's rubbish that they have it on a form though.

Is it a medical form?

Maybe just leave it blank? Surely you don't have to answer if you don't want to?

Don't mention it. I wouldn't and I work in mental health.

It's their form not a proper medical, you have no way of knowing how they will keep that information and who they will pass it on to. You also have no way of knowing whether they will make poor judgements in relation to it.

You are under no obligation to mention it on a recruitment form.

I know I wouldn't mention it. I feel they shouldn't discriminate, but they might.

I understand what you mean, there is a vast difference between long-term problems and a reaction to exhaustion or a distressing event.
My DF was described as 'depressed' by friends when his beloved wife had died at a young age - that's grief, isn't it?

Good luck with the agency :)

I would skirt around it on an agency form. I would write 'No (short period of post-natal depression)' or something like that. YOu are not obliged to tell them about medication choices (you could have left the surgery with a prescription and not taken it). I'd tell the truth on a medical form if they were checking my medical records but I wouldn't make a big deal of it. I've also done what LadyBaiter has done and no-one has ever questioned me.

Half the population has had anxiety and depression, if you are not having ongoing problems, it's not likely to interfere with your job, I wouldn't personally draw massive attention to it (although I might mention it in the form above).

I am on AD's for PND atm and I never state it on any application.
the only person I declare it to is someone medical in case of needed any other meds.
No one elses business and tbh, it won't actually effect your ability to do a job, but may just give the employer reason to think your liable to have lots of time off, and if you are coping fine, then there's no need.

If you were applying for a teaching/preschool position, as a parent I'd want to know of any mental health issues, as a committee member of a preschool/nursery etc, I'd want to know and I know for a fact, Ofsted need to know.

If you're working with children, young people or vulnerable adults, such as pregnant mothers or in a caring profession, I think you should be totally honest. If you're applying to work in Tesco/a bank etc, I'm not sure it's as important although I'm sure if you were found out to have lied, you could be done for fraud.

Remember that woman who had lied to the NHS about her quals and she had been in post for a number of years before being found out.....she then had to court and faced a prison sentence.

Thanks, Lady. To be honest it all makes me a bit , I know they say they don't discriminate, but honestly, if they have a choice between someone with problems and someone without...

YABU. You are protected by law against discrimination on the basis of your mental health and your prior declaration of this could actually benefit you in the future (if another unpleasant incident occurred in your life - obviously I hope that it doesn't - you might be grateful that you have been open with your employers from the beginning). Even though the circumstances that have led to your previous episodes were obviously unpleasant, the fact still remains that you had those episodes and so you are arguably slightly more prone to depression than some others.

This kind of response actually contributes to the stigmatisation of mental health. Most of us will have filled out forms asking if we have had surgery in the past 12 months or have any other health issues. We also get asked for our absences in the past couple of years and the reasons for them. I had to inform my employers of any blood-borne virus I carry/have carried. Depression is no more or less of an illness than any other.

Apologies - the 2nd para sounds a bit harsh/preachy on re-reading. Wasn't meant to be the case. Just don't think your depression is anything to be ashamed/embarrassed about and so don't think you should be anxious about stating that it took place.

silverymoon - sorry but having pnd could effect someone's ability to do their job.
Imagine that you have pnd and sometimes feel like throwing your child against the wall? IS somebody like that responsible enough to look after babies in a nursery for example.

I'm saying this as someone who has had pnd.

I'd say most companies wouldn't discriminate...but unfortunately, IMO, there are some that will. My previous employer would have, most definatley. But then his criterea for employment was: Blonde hair, size 10 or less, and genrally aesthetically pleasing. Whole other thread there though

I wouldn't mention it

I would say you need to declare it. I feel bad for you that you have suffered with depression (I had PND too), but you say your first bout of depression was ?reactions to fairly extreme situations which I don't forsee happening in the near future?
Struggling to get a job, being cheated on and losing a grandparent are all horrible things and I?m not downplaying the serious nature of these and your subsequent depression, but many people go through these issues and much more, without suffering from depression.

What I?m trying to say is that some incidents obviously trigger your depression, where it wouldn?t in other people - therefore it will have some bearing upon a future work role if you are of the nature where depression affects you. Depending on what the job is, I think YABU not to state it in the interests of the safety and wellbeing of colleagues/clients etc

I suffered from depression 8 years ago for around 2 years, I didn't work at the time, have been in part-time work for 6 years apart from 2 maternity leaves. I have not and would not mention it on a recruitment form.

You are registering with a recruitment agency and whilst I am aware that we shouldn't be discriminated against, I personally feel I would have been. I need the job more than they need the info on an internal recruitment form. Good luck, ps my depression never returned and I think part-time work has been the best thing in the world for me.

Lie, I'd have no qualms about lying. I think asking if you've ever suffered from depression is a ridiculous question. I've been on a short course of anti-depressants twice. The first time, I didn't even miss a day of work and my employers didn't know.

They have no business asking 1) such a personal question and 2) considering it relevant.

I should have probably mentioned that it's a position as a proofreader so fairly solitary stuff.

I never had the sort of depression that made me want to throw babies at walls, I just had no energy and was very teary and anxious. Which to be honest, could probably have been called chronic exhaustion, rather than depression. You could also argue that I wasn't depressed the first time, more struggling with being trapped in a relationship with a controlling, manipulating arsewit and other factors.

I am really not tempted to declare this information to a recruitment agency. Maybe to an employer, if they asked outright, but not sure about spilling my life story to some randoms in an office.

Don't mention it. Seriously.

My lovely BIL has had problems with anxiety and depression in the past. He has a very good career and two degrees. He also has excessive honesty. It took missing out on 12 different jobs- where they were madly enthusiastic at the first interview and once he mentioned his illness at the second interview they disappeared- before he stopped mentioning his illness. He got the next job.

Search online and you'll find people with very similar experiences from minimum wage jobs to those on 100k pa.

The new legislation about discrimination sounds good but has no teeth.

"in the interests of the safety and wellbeing of colleagues/clients etc"

That's the kind of utter bollocks reaction that cause discrimination.

Just leave it blank. No one could criticise you then. If they ask for clarification just say you find it too personal to answer. But I doubt they will.

I'm not sure what you should do in this case, but I know I would be tempted to leave the information off the form. Employers shouldn't discriminate, but we all know they do and if I was confident that something like this would not affect my job performance now, I would think twice about declaring it.

That might not strictly be the right thing to do, but if I thought it would make the difference between me getting the job or not....

I would omit the instances of depression.

I would also ensure there were no references to me having children or being a single parent.

If I had a physical condition I would lie about that as well.

However, I would not put myself forward for any job I knew I couldn't do or couldn't commit to.

Getting a job is hard enough, don't give them excuses to give it to someone else when they don't have any understanding of how you will or won't cope.

Plenty of people with mental illness hold down jobs, and plenty of perfectly healthy people don't.

I really wouldnt mention it. Ever. Getting a job at the moment is hard enough, do you really think they will pick you with the threat of a break down and time off work against someone else with no problems?

Its a heartless world out there, do not disadvantage yourself. Im sure youl be fine, and a good employee, but they really dont need to know this.