Posted on 07/16/2008 5:42:53 AM PDT by DeaconBenjamin
LONDON: One in five parliamentarians in Britain suffers from mental illness caused by the stress of their public lives, a confidential survey of MPs and peers has found.
Those questioned said they feared disclosing their struggles because of stigma and discrimination.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health questionnaire was completed by 94 parliamentarians, 100 lords and 151 parliamentary staff.
According to the survey, more than a quarter had a mental health issue, while 86 per cent of MPs said their job was stressful.
The group's report is critical of the law forcing MPs to give up their seat for life if they are sectioned under the Mental Health Act for six months.
Liberal Democrat parliamentarian Mark Oaten said he was treated with anti-depressants after his private life was exposed in the press.
"The truth is many politicians, myself included, have found the job enormously stressful," he told The Independent .
"I was regularly taking Prozac." He said he had now "got back his life" and was looking for other career opportunities after the next election.
One of those serving MPs surveyed, speaking told the paper: "I would love as an established MP to talk openly of the serious depressive illness I endured long before I became or even thought of being a MP".
Labour MP Howard Stoate said he had advised MPs to seek help. "A lot of people underestimate how much pressure their MPs are under but it is no more stressful than some other jobs," he said.
the serious depressive illness I endured long before I became or even thought of being a MP
Which suggests the question -- "What led you to run for public office??
Dey is all nutz.
Just thinking this “problem” is pretty obvious to everyone else. No doubt it applies to Congress too except they’e gone one further than most Parliaments ~ with two houses Congress had the opportunity to put two lunatics in charge and did so!
Mental health is a state of mind.
Hell, half the people in this country are *mental* We call them Liberals.
It appears that in the U.S. mental illness is a prerequisite.
I think our Congress has that beat hands down.
> LONDON: One in five parliamentarians in Britain suffers from mental illness caused by the stress of their public lives, a confidential survey of MPs and peers has found.
Given that “mental illness” includes afflictions like Depression, 20% is about the same as the general population.
In other words, this is a non-story.
For the U.S. Congress I would guess that number is more like 5 out of 6.
And the job does NOT make them mentally ill. The vast majority of them were that way when thye ran for office.
Political leadership is only stressful if you don’t speak your mind and vote your conscience.
It’s all of the politically correct B.S. that makes it stressful.
Yes, they are immune!
The stress of their public lives????? Geeze....gimme a break.My God that's funny.
And for the Gay State's Congressional delegation it's 12 out of 12.But then,their illness tends to be more moral in nature than "mental".
Liberal victim mentality. If only those evil conservatives out there would leave us alone, we wouldn’t be sitting here and losing our marbles. It’s a vast right-wing conspiracy.
Only 1 in 5?
LONDON: One in five parliamentarians in Britain suffers from mental illness
Monty Python LIVES!!!!
Aside from the rare shining star, what "normal" person would subject him- or herself to the relentless and neverending media rectal exam of their personal and financial life? What about the indignity of the constant asskissing and fundraising?
All of this is endured to reign over a constituency made up of equal parts of people that hate your guts and folks that want special favors. The pay is good but it ain't that good.
That’s OK, 4 out of 9 Supreme Court Justices suffer from mental illness over here.
One in five parliamentarians in Britain suffers from venereal
disease.
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