<p>I have a long history of mental problems and I am wondering if employers can see this when they look into my records. I have a feeling that I will have a very difficult time getting employed because of this. In high school I was forced to see a psychiatrist because of a fight I got into. Would it help that I was not the instigator and that I was provoked? Last summer I was forced to go to the mental hospital for reasons that are too detailed to keep anyone interested. To keep a long story short, the psychologist manipulated me into saying it was a voluntary hospitalization and I was stuck there for six hours. Keep in mind that I was not violent or threatening violence, but I was just disturbed with my thoughts. I was banned or suspended from the campus until I got a letter from a mental health professional, not unlike the situation I had to go through to go back to my high school two years ago.</p>
<p>Am I in trouble? How much detail will my employers know? Will I have a hard time getting hired? Should I lie if anyone questions me and hope that I won't get caught?</p>
<p>I am especially interested in anyone who is involved in the hiring process.</p>
<p>Your medical records are only open if you give consent. In other words, an employer will not ever be able to look at them without your knowledge and approval. However, I think that some positions may require you to give that consent in order to obtain the position. I am not sure about that, but I like to think that we are looking into the mental health of police officers and things of that nature before we give them the power to abuse. </p>
<p>Anyway, as for the comment above about criminal background checks, my brother was hired last year right out of college to the highest paid position out of anyone I have met in college yet. The company that hired him never did any background check or anything so, I think that it will depend on the employer.</p>
<p>Agree about the inconsistency on background checks. However, medical records are indeed confidential and access to them may be obtained only with your expressed, written permission. Insurance companies, who apparently have a more highly vested interest in a person’s medical history before becoming involved in a business relationship with them, need written permission for records to be released.</p>
<p>How do I prevent any further altercations? I do not want to get a criminal record due to misunderstandings or because someone wants to start trouble.
So far, I have not been arrested because I am a law abiding citizen, but with the luck I have, I’m not sure if the law would be by my side. It seems as if every few years someone is out to lock me into an institution for whatever reason. I wonder what I could change in my personality or demeanor to prevent these kind of things from happening again.</p>