But even workplaces that attempt to accommodate the mentally disabled sometimes have a hard time retaining their employees. Glenn Koons, 50, was working at Staples when another employee learned he suffered from bipolar disorder and started teasing and bullying. Even though Koons had a company-appointed job coach to help with problems like this, he quit. He regrets it now.
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Unemployment among the mentally ill is high, estimated at between 40%-60% for people with major depression and up to 90% for people with serious psychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia.
For some fortunate people with a mental illness, work is a welcoming place that provides emotional and financial stability. "I'm blessed in that I work in a place where people get it," says Laura Gilmartin, 38, an office manager in Skokie, Illinois. "There was a time when I couldn't work for six months, but they brought me back afterward, knowing that I'm a little off my rocker. I do everything I can to make sure I can be there for them because I so appreciate that."
Steven D. Hollon, PhD, professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University, says it's a myth that depressed people aren't effective at work. "If you look at some of the greatest leaders, you might think depression ought to be a prerequisite: Lincoln, Churchill—we've done OK with people who have dealt with mental illness."
Sometimes it's a matter of finding the right fit. Laurel Lemke, 54, stuck it out at a tough job and was glad she did. She has bipolar disorder, which caused some friction with her grouchy boss, who eventually retired. Then, Lemke says, "They brought in somebody else who has bipolar too, and I became the lead worker in the office."
