Antidepressants and job offer

[Usernamqwerty]

I've verbally accepted an NHS role, subject to the usual checks. It's a dream job and I am really excited.

However, I am worried they might pull the offer due to the fact I have been on antidepressants for the last year (prescribed by my GP). I also briefly saw the IAPT service last year and had a lovely worker which really helped.

My mental health is better than it has been in years. I have a solid work history apart from 3 years as a SAHM (I had two children 22 months apart). I have never taken time off work for mental health reasons (I should have done, but that's another story).

I know places are not allowed to discriminate and that the law has changed to asking about health after a job offer and not before. However, in my previous NHS job, occ health sent me a big questionnaire asking about prior history of illness, including MH problems. At that time, I wasn't on meds. However, now I am on meds, I am worried they could withdraw the offer.

Does anyone else have experience with this please? What might happen? Might they ask me / my GP for more details?

Thanks x

Never been rejected from a job because of depression or Boderline Personality diagnosis. It would be discriminatory for a start - and harder to pretend it's another reason once the offer has been made, which is why I presume they changed it to after. I'd be bloody horrified if the NHS discriminated on a health ground!

To be honest there are a lot of people who take anti depressants and I don’t see why it would make them rethink the offer. Also now they’ve offered you the job they would need to justify why they then took back the offer.

You can either not tell them, which is your prerogative or tell them, then occupational health may contact you for a short chat.

Just be honest. I had to take a break from working for reasons of severe anxiety and depression, and am still on tablets and under the care of the local mental health trust (though fingers crossed, I now need them far less frequently than I did), and have just come back into the NHS part-time in an admin-type role. I'd have thought what's most likely will be what happened to me when I came back in - a couple of extra occupational health interviews and a chat with a doctor so they were happy they were offering me the support I needed to do the job. My manager and deputy manager also know I've been ill, and half of it was mental health related, though they don't know all of the gory details.

Especially with all of the COVID-19 issues at the moment, and the knock on effect of lockdown and other aspects, I get the feeling people are a lot more open about talking about mental health than they were even a couple of years ago. Good luck!

I had to have a chat with occ health about my new job because I am on significant amounts of x2 AD. The woman was lovely and said it’s much rarer that she gets a questionnaire back where it doesn’t say AD on them (teaching).

Occy health has a duty of care towards staff, OP, and any health issue flagged up on a questionnaire should simply trigger (at most) a discussion about any workplace adaptations you might need for your condition.
My DD has been on antidepressants since her two attempted hangings, and she is also autistic. She was open about all this in her job application. She has had huge support from Occy health since
being appointed- everything from free private counselling to office adaptations for her autism, and an invitation to join the staff network for supporting people with MH or ASD issues. She has also been promoted despite having a couple of lengthy sick leave absences with depressive relapses.
If a private company can do all that, I’m sure the NHS should at least manage to not discriminate against you!

If the NHS refused to employ anyone on anti-depressants you'd have completely empty hospitals! Just write it on the form if the form asks for current medication, and be honest with them if they ring for a chat.

It's natural to feel concerned about it, but more than 15% of the adult population are on anti-depressants and the NHS is the UKs biggest employer. It won't be anything occy health haven't seen a hundred times.

I very recently got a job in the public sector and put that I take antidepressants on the questionnaire. There was no problem at all. I had a call from a nurse which seemed to be mostly about any accommodations that needed to be made so I could do my job. Like a poster above says - it would be discrimination if they didn’t offer you the job because of that. Congratulations on the job offer.

If you were asthmatic, would they decide not to employ you because you used inhalers? Depression is an illness. You are taking medication for that illness. There should be no difference.

Thank you all for your kind responses and advice. I am feeling less worried now x

What sort of adjustments might be possible due to mh issues? X

Be honest. I work in HR (& previously worked in HR for the NHS) and they would never, ever withdraw a job offer request due to mental health issues declared to OH. The only reason you’re asked to go through occupational health is so that they can ensure any reasonable adjustments are in place prior to your start date. Please don’t worry xx

Adjustments could be anything from allowing you extra breaks for fresh air, to home working if you felt you needed it, or referrals for CBT etc.

Thanks Emma, that's really helpful x

OH wrote to HR suggesting as adjustments that I should get time off for appointments (not sure why - I never have any during work time!) and that I should have a mentor for the first year of doing the job who could meet with me, initially weekly, then extending to fortnightly and monthly as deemed appropriate, to check how things were going.
All very supportive and not a problem.

In 2016 there were more than 60 million prescriptions for psychiatric medication. On that basis they are unlikely to exclude people from work for taking SSRIs

I do feel irritated at the thought of having to be honest’ with an employer when employers are not required to ‘be honest’ in return.

In your case you have nothing to worry about here.

*60 million just in England.

Thanks so much!

Half the NHS staff are on antidepressants. Mostly due to working for the NHS. I wouldn’t give it a second thought

Illness and disability is a protected characteristic. Unless it directly interferes with your ability to do the job, they can't legally discriminate against your for MH.

Thank you 😊