17 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION A recent interdisciplinary review (80) of the literature on the disclosure of MHI in the workplace provides additional insight into antecedents to the (non-)disclosure decision and outcomes of disclosure. This review proposed that important internal antecedents of non-disclosure are stigma-related. For example, as workers had the fear of being treated differently, they concealed their MHI (79, 81-83). Furthermore, other internal antecedents to disclosure included attitudes towards disclosure (81), self-management capabilities (84), disclosure motives (e.g. to arrange for work accommodations) (85), perceived organizational support (86, 87), and symptomatology (both severity of symptoms and variations in diagnosis) (88). The review also discussed external antecedents to disclosure (80), and these external antecedents highlighted the importance of the supervisor for the disclosure decision. Supervisors’ attitude (89), personality (90), competencies (91), and social support (90) were all antecedents to disclosure. Furthermore, organizational support (86) through a supportive climate was also an important antecedent to disclosure. Finally, the interdisciplinary review (80) also discussed several important outcomes of disclosure. First, stigma and discrimination are possible outcomes of disclosure. Research has shown that disclosure can result in negative reactions from colleagues and supervisors. For example, being treated differently, being gossiped about, and being labeled as weak and less competent (73, 82). Second, disclosure can negatively affect employment outcomes through job loss and discrimination (78, 92-94). However, several studies have also found positive effects of disclosure on employment outcomes, as it allows people to continue working through work adjustments and social support (81, 92, 95, 96). Third, disclosure can also have other positive outcomes on a group level, as it can create a culture of disclosure that can encourage other workers with MHI to disclose (97). Also, it can lead to increased psychological well-being, as workers often felt more accepted after disclosure and had feelings of relief over time (98). These mixed positive and negative outcomes of disclosure can make the disclosure decision difficult. This disclosure dilemma is expected to be even more prominent for trauma-prone occupations, such as the military, where workers are expected to be ‘strong’ and disclosure may yield less positive outcomes (47, 99). However, as research on supervisor disclosure in the military is very scarce (73), more research is needed into the (non-) disclosure decision in the military, as these insights can help to facilitate disclosure in a safe environment so that personnel can receive support which can prevent adverse occupational outcomes (43, 44, 71). Additionally, as disclosure can negatively and positively affect sustainable employment and well-being at work, more insight is needed into the direct association between disclosure and sustainable employment and wellbeing at work.
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