...It is difficult to nail from the article, which point from the broad "many" , qualify for an answer!

...When the definition of mental illness is vexed as it is, such that the term mental illness encompasses such a vast field, what category of mental illness will qualify for attention?
What category of mental illness will be acceptable in some environments as opposed to others? And does the author allude in the article, not to mental illness, but to personality disorders such as psycopathy?

...Mixed into the confusion are the vast army of malingers who masquerade under the banner of mental illness, in a quest for a life free of responsibility; what of them?
And, should we not be too careful here not to create an intersection in society where political dissent could be redirected to correctional institutions for reconfiguring, under simple changes to the mental illness act?

...And, should mental illness be narrowed as a diagnosis, to cases which are identifiable only by pathology. This would illiminate a vast majority of suspect diagnosis of mental illness!

...the minefield that mental illness diagnosis has become, collides with the smooth running of a business, only as a behaviourable issue, maybe that should remain the norm!

Whats a mental illness act? Always you speak so much rubbish when ever you talk diver dan? I don't speak English very good either. But your English and spelling no good at all. Because you always print one line stuff, and why most think you are very stupid.

Diver, I challenge you to name just one person, you know for sure and certain, is feigning mental illness, in order to just stay on work start or a DP? [Name, rank and serial number.]
Neither of which enables one to live high on the hog, or even adequately manage!
And given we all of us, tend to judge all others by our own standards!
Your less than gracious or gallant comments, tell us plenty about you!
I mean, a Sydney bed/sit,now costs more than a single pension, and even where one can get affordable housing, life such as it is, is very frugal!
Rather than the life of Reilly, as seriously misrepresented by you!

Extremely prejudiced and extraordinarily ignorant people, just like you, are the reason few if any should disclosed their problems, let alone share them with barking mad bar stewards!
Most mental illnesses are just a result of some missing brain chemical and when properly treated, with the right medication, which replaces the missing chemistry, ends the so called problem?
And given many of these people, i.e., like a tormented Robin Williams, who recently took his own life, are extremely gifted in many other areas; need to be assisted, to return to reasonable "managed" normality!
An Uncle, who had been on the front in Tobruk, for several completely exhausting months, was finally sent back for some R+R.
When they arrived, they were confronted by a pompous little git of a British officer, who's life mission, was to drill Anzacs, until they became like the automatons, the unquestioning British Tommy, was at that time?
My Uncle turned to the officer, when ordered to drill on and on under a hot M.E sun, and said, Someone should take you out the back and hiss on you. At least that way, you'd smell like a man!
Were my Uncle alive today, he'd very likely give you similar advice, and rightly so?
Rhrosty.

I'm afraid I see none of the points that the author describes as "obvious" as obvious all - quite the contrary!

What of an employer's obligation to maintain the privacy of information that they may hold about an employee? No mention!
What of our shared legal obligation not to discriminate against anyone on the basis of their disability? No mention!

The article seems merely to perpetuate the mythical stereotype of a mentally ill "them" and mentally healthy "us".

The reality is that 1 in 5 Australians experience a mental illness each year, nearly 50% over the course of a lifetime. That mental illness will vary from the profound to the imperceptible.

The correct answer to the question contained in this article's title "When ought we disclose mental illness?" is in fact obvious.

1. When we have the person's express permission to do so.

2. When someone is so extremely ill that we need to make a strictly limited disclosure in order to ensure they receive the assistance that they need.

Rhosty:

Malingering

...#Malingering can take many forms. However, as specifically related to mental illness, the tendency is to fake more common disorders such as major depressive disorder , post-traumatic stress disorder , and panic disorder with agoraphobia . With very little coaching or research, even a beginner can simulate symptoms of these disorders.#

Read more: http://www.minddisorders.com/Kau-Nu/Malingering.html#ixzz3B78XJByE

...And I am surrounded by malingerers able and willing to smoke,drink, go fishing, ride a bike,chop the wood, bash the little woman et-al ...all except activities related to regular effort directed towards the responsibility of working for a living! Feigning the life of the feeble minded as a life-style, is disingenuous!

Misanthropy:
...My sympathies to you as you journey through life in profound unhappiness! Me, I am perfectly happy!

Diver, just as I thought, more allegations, and not so much as a single shred of evidence, credible or otherwise!
But just more of the same, very obviously judged/drawn from seriously flawed personal standards!
As always, around 2% of people, just wouldn't work in an iron lung!
And that just doesn't mean they're or aren't feigning anything!
I mean seriously, where do you get off and what do actually you know about mental illness or medicine?
Apart from the patently obvious fact that you're both incredibly ignorant and extremely prejudiced, do you have any actual qualifications?
Or like your peers, the judgmental know-it-alls, did you even finish High School?
The very worst injuries or illnesses, are those the layman just can't see!
And then we wonder why there is so much harmful social stigma!
There are just two kinds of people commenting here, those who are part of the solution and those who are part of the problem!
And based on your comments, you fit the latter category!?
As for my personal state?
You just don't know me, or whether I'm happy or not!
Then only reason the Nazi scum, were able to mass murder 6 million non combatant men women and children; is they lacked NORMAL human empathy!
And judged by your very own words, neither do you!?
Without bias, Rhrosty

When ought we disclose mental illness?

That's a question I'm not really sure how
to answer becaue there appears to be
wide disagreement on exactly what constitutes
mental illness. Behaviour that might seem disturbed
in one context (like talking to oneself, or losing
one's temper) might appear acceptable or
understandable in another.

To complicate matters, many mental disorders have no
known physical cause or definitive symptoms.
This means that there is rarely a simple, clinical
test to determine if and how someone is mentally
disordered.

I guess the decision then depends on the opinions of
trained observers (professionals) - who frequently
disagree among themselves.

Which is a concern considering that there are many people
who don't try to get professional help and who do suffer
from severe anxiety and depression.

Perhaps the recent suicides of people like Robin
Williams and Charlotte Dawson could have been prevented.
Who knows.

recent suicides of people like Robin Williams and Charlotte Dawson
Foxy,
I wouldn't describe Robin williams as having been mentally ill at all. He could see that his quality of life was going down the tube & he simply prevented himself from that suffering. If anything I'd say he was mre sane than most when he made that decision.
As for Charlotte Dawson my guess is that either she knew that there was no way out as in Williams's case or she couldn't accept that glamour only has a short lifespan.
Neither are remotely related to mental illness.

Dear Individual,

I won't insult your intelligence by suggesting
that you really believe what you just posted.

Foxy,
By rights, sooner or later you should come to realise the futility of trying to drag me down to your level of mentality. Unlike you et al I'm working on making our society better than it is now & one way of doing that is to expose the poor mentality of those who'd sell their mother to appease those who can't or don't care.

Not all that long ago, shell shocked soldiers, would have been accused of cowardice in the face of the enemy, or just bone lazy malingers!
Now we know and understand, every human being extant on the planet, has a very finite limit, to the amount of trauma, he or she can safely tolerate!
Hence we see really stupid acts of apparent bravery/sheer unadulterated guts, where someone completely out of their cotton picking skull, charges an enemy machine gun nest etc!
Or calls down, shell fire on their own position; or succumbs to the battered wife syndrome, and sticks a carving knife in a deadbeat husband's gizzard!?
Today we recognize most of that as post stress trauma, and indeed, how to help mend a broken mind. Assisted by daily meditation perhaps?
Sir Winston Churchill, wrestled every day of his life with the black dog, or depression.
I don't know how he dealt with it, but I do know one technique that might help.
And that is to treat the voices in your head, telling you to quit, to just give up, cease trying, as if you had been possessed by an alien being, who's only mission in life, was to get you to destroy yourself, and having accepted that; argue with it, and beat it, with sheer logic.
Little wonder the Churchill family motto was, never give up, never give up, never give up!
Today, we can do far better than that, and understand the brain is an organ, just like a heart, lung or liver is, and just like these other organs, can become ill, sick, diseased or injured.
And with that understanding, use an increasing arsenal of drugs and or remedies, to successfully treat the illness/injury!
Sometimes that's as simple as replacing a missing chemical, that's normally part of the brain physiology.
Some people think that mental illness is all in the mind!
Or, if someone thinks they need a psychiatrist, they should have their heads examined!
Rhrosty.

I'm appalled by some comments I have read on here. After revealing my life-long disorder at age 45, suddenly I was considered potentially violent, deluded and a liar. My history of serving others was suddenly irrelevant, my personality of consideration and truth dismissed. I class my honesty about my condition as one of the greatest mistakes I have made in life, as I sought relief for an affliction that cannot be seen and therefore considered phantom by others who are fortunate not to suffer it. People like Robin Williams and Char Dawson took the step they believed would banish the demon, it was a final act of desperation. Telling someone to "get over it" is an ignorant choice - it may be the last words they bother to hear. Attitudes like diver dans do not help.

Some months ago, along with a few others I was present to support an elderly relative who had gone to hospital for treatment of a chest infection, and the X-Ray had showed cancer as well.

All was progressing fine in the preliminary screening, specialists' visits and so on up until a particular nurse happened to write 'anxious patient' in the notes and started to treat this very independent, very fit for age (fitter than many forty year olds), intelligent woman as a mental patient, as an old woman on her last legs who couldn't accept the inevitable death she was 'due'. The staff put her on the 'wait list' for assistance in the shower and so on. Even her medication (antibiotics) was stuffed around, late.

I will not go into the details of the change and the effect it had on the patient, reducing even a strong independent and courageous woman to self doubt and a pressing need to justify herself.

Anyhow, with skilled medical professionals who knew how to listen, all was restored quickly and a change was made to the nursing shift.

The sequel to the story is that this woman is cleared of cancer, scans showing no evidence after the course of radiotherapy. There was very nearly a different, sad outcome.

I have approached this thread from a different angle, but suffice it to say that Frank Quinlan has nailed it in his post on page 1. Think about his post, you could be next. Thanks, Frank.

Thank you onthebeach for your take on the matter. It's horrifying to think what might have happened to your relative - what a relief it didn't and next time you will be all the wiser and prepared. As for attitudes to certain illnesses, I will never forget working at St Vincents Hospitsal in the eighties and seeing people literally climbing over tables in the cafeteris to avoid AIDS patients. Things have moved on from there, but there is a terrible stigma attached to mental illness that means many will never seek help - it took me decades to do so and it has limited my life because of it. The previous years of self medication were better.