Beyond "Best Places to Work": The Hidden Weight of Stigma in Corporate Mental Health - A mixed-methods study in
Alexandre Andrade Loch1, Cristina Holland2, Dulce Brito2
1Laboratório de Neurociências (LIM-27), Instituto de Psiquiatria, Universidade de São Paulo. São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Background:
Workplace mental health initiatives often overlook stigma, which may function as a "hidden demand", undermining psychological safety and help-seeking.
Objective:
To assess psychosocial factors and perceived public stigma among employees related to mental-health programs in companies rated as the best workplaces in Brazil.
Methods:
We surveyed 166 professionals from 36 companies using three Guarding Minds at Work (GM@W) domains and the Perceived Devaluation-Discrimination Questionnaire. Generalized linear models were used for quantitative data, and thematical analysis qualitative data originated from three mixed-role focus groups plus GM@W open-ended responses.
Results:
Most respondents endorsed companies' effective response to identified psychological risks (81.5%) and that companies support employees with mental health problems (84.1%). However, only 59.2% reported employees are free from mental-illness stigma at work, and fewer endorsed adequate stress-coping support. Public stigma perception was correlated with worse GM@W scores. National companies and mental-health professionals reported poorer perceptions in key domains. Qualitative themes converged on leadership strain, uneven program quality/scale, return-to-work friction, stigma, and the need to embed mental health into strategy and prevention.
Conclusions:
Even in companies rated as the best workplaces in Brazil, psychosocial protection and stigma remain an issue. Strengthening leadership capability, governance, confidentiality safeguards, and evaluation is essential.
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