Leadership, the public eye, and mental distress.
During the holiday period, there has been a lot of media reporting on a New Zealand politician accused of shoplifting. As part of this, several stories have drawn connections between this behaviour and mental health. Changing Minds would like to share our thoughts, to not only challenge prejudice and discriminatory narratives, but also to provide food for thought so that leaders, and anyone in the public eye can feel supported to nurture their own mental health and to be an example for others on their Lived Experience journeys.
We were recently asked how the mental health of politicians has changed in recent years. Are politicians experiencing more mental distress than ever before? In recent times we have seen Prime Ministers, Party Leaders and MPs all cite their mental wellbeing as a factor in stepping back from politics. We have also seen politicians cite (or media outlets suggest) mental distress and a reason for misjudgments or bad behaviour. So let’s break this down a bit:
Is mental distress on the rise for people in leadership positions?
It is a wonderful thing that as a society we are holding more and more spaces for people to be open about experiencing mental distress. We know that our ability to respond to experiences of distress is impacted by stresses, strengths and deficits in other aspects of our lives, so it is understandable that high pressure or public roles may affect our experiences.
However, these kōrero are still subject to prejudice, self-stigma and discrimination, and many of us still remember when talking about mental health was a taboo subject - especially among leaders. Because of this, it is hard for Changing Minds to answer with numerical data regarding a rise in experiences of mental distress among politicians, but we know from our community that:
Kōrero about mental distress is becoming more frequent in Aotearoa, and;
Leaders speaking in a safe and engaging way about their experiences is proven to be effective in countering prejudice, discrimination and self-stigma of people with Lived Experience.
Journeying with our experiences creates opportunities for us to evaluate individually and with our support networks, where making changes in our lives can nurture our mental health. For some, that change may be stepping aside from, or taking a break from a stressful or high profile role. There is no shame in putting our wellbeing first.
How can we support Leaders in our community?
Lived Experience Leadership benefits everyone. Lived Experience voices are heard and represented at the highest levels, people in the community feel represented, and people can see pathways for growth and opportunities on their own journeys. Supporting leaders supports community.
It’s important that environments are set up to be supportive of our wellbeing in times of calm, and times of crisis.
What is nurturing and supportive of wellbeing is specific to the needs of the individual and systems and environments should be equipped to accommodate this.
Learning from and supporting those with Lived Experience benefits everyone.
Continue to step up and challenge prejudice, self-stigma and discrimination when we see it!
What are some of the barriers and challenges for Leaders with Lived Experience?
We need to start by noting that these barriers and challenges can be experienced by anyone, but that some people operate in public, or high profile spaces might feel additional scrutiny because of the spaces they operate in.
Our online world means we are accessible or visible in a way very few people experienced in previous generations. Online harm and bullying is an increasing issue in Aotearoa, and even with moderation and filters on digital media it can be hard to separate our personal experiences from the opinions of others.
Changing Minds firmly believes that embracing our Lived Experiences makes us stronger, more understanding and empathetic leaders. However, prejudice, discrimination and self-stigma still contribute to perceptions that mental health is a ‘weakness’.
Education and understanding of mental distress, addiction and substance use can always be improved! Understanding and tackling what factors contribute to poor mental health experiences and positive mental health experiences is critical for individuals, whānau, and communities. Part of this is learning to identify when our cup is emptying or we’re experiencing burnout.
Mental distress and ‘bad behaviour’
Media articles can reinforce negative beliefs or give hope to positive change. There is no singular “type” of person with Lived Experience; and we are represented in all roles and spaces within our communities. It is important to remember, as we’re talking about mental distress and ‘bad behaviours’ who is listening, and what messages the media is reinforcing.
One of the most harmful and prejudicial behaviours for people with Lived Experience of mental distress, addiction or substance use that society engages in, is using mental distress as a scapegoat for bad behaviours, or misrepresenting statistics regarding mental distress and crime.
It has been deeply disappointing to see some reporting as a result of this recent media scrutiny choosing to take this approach. This is something Changing Minds has commented on in the past, and we’d encourage everyone to reflect on this article by our former CEO on a similar situation.
This is an important kōrero. Many in our community will be feeling disappointed to hear the “mental health card” being pulled yet again. One of the things we teach as part of our Rākau Roroa Lived Experience Leadership programme, is the importance of both how and when we discuss experiences of mental distress. Raising mental health challenges only in response to a scandal or poor behaviour only reinforces dangerous (and incorrect) stereotypes and prejudices between mental distress and criminal activity.
But before we end, we do want to celebrate two examples of how this behaviour has been challenged:
Firstly, the individual at the centre of this kōrero has publicly taken ownership of their actions and unequivocally stated they are not laying the blame on their mental health.
Secondly, other reporters and commentators who have gone above and beyond to counter these prejudices and speak about the two issues (of individuals poor decisions AND about an individuals mental health) in a safe and non-discriminatory way.