MPs ‘are twice as likely to suffer from mental health compared to those in other high-income jobs’
MPs are twice as likely to suffer from mental illness as people in similar high-income jobs, a poll reveals.
And their risk of having conditions such as depression, anxiety and panic attacks is a third higher than the rest of the UK.
The findings come from an anonymous poll of 146 MPs which shows more than a third probably suffer from a mental health issue, compared with around a quarter of the public.
The figure is also double the one in six people affected in other high-power jobs.
Meanwhile just half of MPs said they would talk about mental health issues with their peers.
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And most are unaware of an anonymous service to help those in need.
Researcher and Tory MP Dr Dan Poulter said the study, which is the first of its kind, “suggests a high level of mental distress among MPs and raises important issues about how we can better support them”.
Co-researcher Nicole Votruba, of King’s College London, said: “The extent of stigma among MPs seems out of step with increasing public awareness.” The study is in the BMJ Open journal.
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