Do I tell my boss? If and when to disclose a mental health condition at work

One of the questions an individual with a mental illness may find themselves dealing with is, should I disclose my disability at work?  To whom, and when?  Typically, an individual discloses this (or any type of health issue) when an accommodation is needed to help perform assigned job duties.  The University of Massachusetts Medical School has come up with a helpful guide that address the reasons why you might or might not disclose a mental health condition,  how to do so and when to do so.  The guide goes on to provide guidance on what an employer can and cannot ask you about your mental health condition during a job interview and to whom you would disclose the information; it even describes the different types of disclosure: full disclosure, targeted disclosure and inadvertent disclosure.  Finally, the guide provides a reminder about cyber disclosure; in other words, remembering to be aware that you may be disclosing information when using social media, even inadvertently.

You can find the guide here:  http://escholarship.umassmed.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1077&context=pib