British MPs have high rates of mental health problems – and low awareness of where to get help, according to a study published today.
About a third of the politicians who filled in surveys indicated mental health problems – with women facing particular strains, according to a report in BMJ Open.
Some 146 MPs filled in surveys for the survey, which was conducted by former health minister Dr Dan Poulter and Nicole Votruba, of the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College, London.
Very few knew about the Parliamentary health and wellbeing service, which is anonymous and was set up in 2013. Some 23% said they knew about it.
The survey also showed that MPs were unwilling to talk to colleagues about their problems. Just half said they would attempt this.
The researchers found that 34% of respondents showed signs of mental health problems – twice the rate found in comparable high income groups.
Dr Poulter said: “This is the first study of its kind to start to evaluate the mental health and wellbeing of UK parliamentarians.
"It suggests a high level of mental distress among MPs and raises important issues about how we can better support the people making and scrutinising the laws that run our country, who experience poor mental health.”
Ms Votruba added: "The extent of stigma among MPs, which our results indicate, is startling and seems out of step with increasing public awareness of mental health.”
Mental health of UK Members of Parliament in the House of Commons: a cross sectional survey. BMJ Open 2 July 2019; doi 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027892
http://bmjopen.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027892
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