
It’s become more common for people to share mental health struggles on social media, but that decision could have a negative impact on future employment. Potential employers view job candidates differently if they talk about their personal mental health publicly, a new study finds. “People are often encouraged to discuss their mental health struggles on social media with the goal of reducing the stigma associated with mental health challenges,” said study co-author Lori Foster, a professor of psychology at North Carolina State University. “We think reducing stigma around mental health is extremely important, but our study suggests that mental health posts on platforms such as LinkedIn could have unforeseen consequences for people disclosing their mental health challenges,” Foster said in a university news release. The study showed these disclosures can influence the way employers view someone in professional contexts, said co-author Jenna McChesney, an assistant professor of psychology at Meredith College in Raleigh, N.C. She worked on the study while a grad student at NC State. “It’s important for people to take that into consideration when determining whether to share their mental health experiences online,” McChesney said in the release. The researchers enlisted 409 professionals with hiring experience to participate in the study, dividing them into four groups. One group was shown the LinkedIn page of a job candidate, with no mention of mental health… read on > read on >