People with mental illnesses are much less likely to be employed than others in Birmingham.

Figures from the NHS have revealed that 39% of people suffering from a mental illness in our city were employed at the end of 2017, compared to 64% of the general population.

It means an estimated 40,500 people who have been diagnosed with a mental illness are out of work across Birmingham.

Experts warn that this is partly because the current system of helping people with mental illnesses to get back into and stay in employment “doesn’t always work” - and can even make the situation worse.

The discrepancy is even larger in Walsall, where the average resident is three times more likely to have a job than someone with a mental illness.

In the area, just 25% of people with a mental illness are employed, compared to 72% of all residents.

Meanwhile, the gap is much smaller in Sandwell, where 47% of people with mental illnesses are working - not so far behind 64% of the general population.

As well as conditions such as depression and anxiety, mental illness can cover problems such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and also learning difficulties or disabilities.

Across the country, around 45% of people with a mental illness are employed, compared to 78% of the general population.

That gap gets even wider when looking at specific conditions, however. While 46% of people with depression are employed, just 27% of people with a learning difficulty or disability are in work.

The gap is also worse for men than it is for women. Some 47% of women that have been diagnosed with a mental illness are employed, while 71% of all women are.

That figure is 42% for men with a mental illness, versus 81% of all men in the country.

Meanwhile, black people see the biggest gap in employment, with just 29% of those suffering from a mental illness in work compared to 68% of the general population.

In comparison, 47% of of all white people with a mental illness are employed, compared to 78% of all white people in England.

Ayaz Manji, policy and campaigns officer at mental health charity Mind, said: “We know that many people with mental health problems still face stigma and discrimination at the hands of their employers, while the current system of helping people to get back into and stay in employment doesn’t always work.

“The Equality Act 2010 is there to protect disabled employees but you need to tell your employer about it before you can benefit, and many people don’t feel comfortable doing this if they have a mental health problem.

“A recent survey by Business in the Community found that 15 per cent of workers who told their employer about their mental health faced demotion, disciplinary action or even dismissal as a result.

“A large proportion of the people who receive out-of-work benefits need this support primarily due to their mental health, but the system currently doesn’t work for many people with mental health problems.

“Assessments are carried out by staff with little or no training in mental health, meaning many people don’t get the outcome they deserve, and have to go through a lengthy and costly appeals process.

“Many people getting support also have to live with the constant worry of having their benefits cuts or stopped altogether.

“We have heard awful stories of people having their support cut because they failed to attend a meeting with the Jobcentre Plus, even though the reason they didn’t attend was because they were in hospital or attending a counselling appointment.

“This punitive approach makes people’s mental health even worse, which only pushes them further from getting back to work.

“Mind is campaigning for a welfare system and back-to-work support that is geared up to understand mental health and provides appropriate support that tackles the barriers people face.”