Unfair employment discrimination of previously depressed individuals

Individuals who have recovered from or are in a remissive state of depression are often required to declare their psychiatric history during applications for employment. This practice exposes such individuals to discrimination even though they are no longer afflicted by the condition, leading to the question whether the practice is fair and justified. Such discrimination can also have adverse health implications as individuals with active depression might not want to seek help early for fear of stigmatisation. In this article, constructive dialogue among relevant stakeholders is proposed to encourage appropriate and measured responses to this problem. A more durable solution in Singapore may be to introduce legislation to prevent unfair discrimination.