Introduction
The goal of this study is to provide awareness of the prejudicial and/or discriminatory
experiences of Black adults with serious mental illness in the workplace. Since studies in the past
usually focused on one type of prejudicial experience, this study focuses on multiple sources of
prejudice and/or discrimination during a workplace incident.
Purpose
According to the writers, there is a gap in the literature that investigate this topic, so the purpose
is to increase the focus of the experiences to encourage more studies on instances of prejudice
and/or discrimination against Black individuals with SMI to achieve more effective research
designs and clinical interventions.
Hypothesis
The following research questions are addressed:
1. What kinds of prejudicial and/or discriminatory experiences do Black adults
with SMI contend with in the context of work?
2. How can an intersectional framework expand our understanding of prejudicial
experiences among Black adults with SMI? (Balogun-Mwangi, et. al., 2023,
p.6)
Methodology
Sample
Twenty-four Black adults with SMI were recruited in the Boston metropolitan area after
placing flyers in two clubhouses asking for participation. The sample of twenty-four included
thirteen men and eleven women from 24 to 63 years old. Six reported one mental illness
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diagnosis, while the rest reported multiple diagnoses. Most of the sample reported being
diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar, major depression, PTSD, and anxiety.
Measures
To create a semi-structured interview guide, the first author, Balogun-Mwangi, identified and
carefully worded research questions based on experiences with mental illness, job history,
experiences with prejudice in the workplace, and ways of coping with these experiences.
Afterward, the first and third authors reviewed and edited the questions as needed. The
researchers also sought to validate the study by conducting a focus group with several of the
participants. The researchers then used the grounded theory approach and constant comparative
method to analyze the data in meetings.
Procedures
Between May 2017 and June 2018, researchers conducted forty-to-sixty-minute
interviews. The participants answered a demographic questionnaire followed by a semi-
structured interview in private rooms in two clubhouses. To validate the findings, a 90-minute
focus group was held at each clubhouse in which researchers presented their preliminary findings
to nine of the participants and asked them to share their thoughts on whether the results reflected
their experiences.
Results
The results indicate that Black adults with SMI report that they experience prejudice
and/or discrimination due to visible and non-visible characteristics. More than half reported that
they experienced prejudice due to one characteristic. Participants indicated nineteen personal
attributes in which race, mental illness, and gender were experienced most often. Other visible
characteristics noted were age, weight, criminal history, and how light or dark their skin was. All
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men reported workplace discrimination related to race compared to about half of the women,
listing three to four characteristics. Women mostly reported gender-related incidents that were
related to sexual harassment, while men reported experiences where they were treated as
threatening or incompetent. Five women reported no discrimination according to race, seven
participants reported that mental illness was not a source of discrimination, and two women
reported neither as a source. Those who reported mental illness as a source felt rejected,
patronized, and held to lower expectations. In the focus groups, it was reported that the findings
validated their experiences. The issue with the focus group is that only one woman participated.
Practical Significance
This study is significant because, though the sample size was small, the findings conclude
that Black adults with SMI reported prejudicial and/or discriminatory experiences in the
workplace due to race, gender, appearance, and stereotypical views of individuals with mental
illness. It also provides groundwork for new research as well as shows the need to help
individuals who are experiencing negative workplace issues due to race, gender, or mental
diagnoses.
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References
Balogun-Mwangi, O., DeTore, N. R., & Russinova, Z. (2023). 'We don’t get a chance
to prove who we really are’: A qualitative inquiry of workplace prejudice and discrimination
among Black adults with serious mental illness. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 46(1), 4–
13. https://doi.org/10.1037/prj0000527
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