Gender differences in public attitudes toward bipolar disorder in the workplace

ABSTRACT

This study examines gender differences in attitudes toward individuals with Bipolar Disorder (BD) at work. Participants (N = 628) randomized to a vignette completed the Attitudes toward Individuals with Bipolar Disorder in the Workplace Scale (social acceptability, competency, reliability, advancement, job demotion/loss). Multivariable regressions found men rated co-workers with BD as more socially acceptable, while women rated co-workers as more competent and less likely to lose their job/be demoted. Mediational analyses assessing whether a personal diagnosis of a mood disorder mediates attitudes toward co-workers with BD and gender found 8–17% of a relationship between gender and attitudes is attributed to a participant diagnosis of depression or BD. These results inform educational/intervention strategies targeting gender-specific attitudes toward individuals with BD.

KEYWORDS:

• Bipolar disorder
• employment
• gender differences
• public attitudes
• stigma
• workplace

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Caitlin Brown, Wayne State University and Neva Nehan, Wayne State University.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, L.A., O’Donnell, upon reasonable request.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/15332985.2022.2106808.

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by the University Research Grant [141938], an internal grant awarded by the Office of the Provost at Wayne State University.