However, because an employer needs to get the job done, realistic planning followed by a discussion with the boss can ease work stress. The Americans with Disabilities Act was developed to protect people from being fired on the basis of disability. This protection can extend to people with mental illnesses. The employer will still require that the job be done, but should make reasonable adjustments to allow the disabled person to perform. Living with Mental Illness.
Mental illness is a common affliction.
There are approximately 400,000 people who suffer from mental illness living in Harris County. One in five Houston-area children has some form of illness. Nationally, three to five percent of all children under 18 have a severe mental disorder. It is estimated that more than 15 million Americans suffer from depression. Anxiety afflicts about 30 million people, and millions more suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks and phobias.