Serious question about disabilities and job interviews

[Juche]

I'm probably going to have a job interview next week or the week after and I have a question.

From 1997-2000 I had severe schizophrenia (ages 17-21). And I didn't work during that period, just lived with my parents. Around the end of 2000 I got treatment on my own (nobody really knew what to do in a small rural state about a serious mental illness, so I basically just lived in my room at my parent's place the whole time). And after getting treatment haven't had problems since.

I went to college and got a degree and got out in August 2007. In the last job interview I had (end of January) the interview went extremely well, but I fear that my work history gap showed up on a background check and they passed me over.

Do employers care about a work history gap during the 17-21 year old age period? How do I bring it up? It seems lose/lose to me. I can admit I've had a mental illness to the employer and be passed over, or I can ignore it and they find out on a background check about my work history gap and think I am unreliable.

If this interview doesn't work out, I am just going to go to a social services group and try to get help from them. Where do I find out about programs to help people with disabilities get into careers? Do they help place people into professional fields? I don't need any special assistance or anything like that, just an employer who won't pass me over for suffering from a mental illness as a teenager.

The job (I don't know if it matters by field, but someone posted something else about high levels of Aspergers in IT for example so maybe different fields have different attitudes) I will interview for is as a synthetic biochemist and my degree is in biochemistry. I would assume STEM fields are more tolerant to mental illness than fields like law or retail, but I don't know.

[DarkTirade]

1. If they ask, I'd just say you couldn't work for medical reasons

and leave it at that. You don't have to disclose any more than that.

[Juche]

2. how does it get brought up though

My concern is do I bring up the gap or do I wait for them to find out on their own? I know I don't have to bring up anything other than the fact that I had medical problems, I'm just not sure how to address it. Should I come out in the interview and address it proactively?

[DarkTirade]

5. Myself, I wouldn't mention it unless they ask.

But that's really up to you.

[mitchum]

3. You could always just say that you were self-employed during that period

[Zuiderelle]

4. A gap from 17-21 wouldn't be any concern. Especially if you went to college after that.

I wouldn't admit anything, as it's not their business. You can simply say you spent those years trying to find yourself if it even comes up, which I doubt it will.

Good luck to you!