mental ill-health_ it's time for us to grow up and talk about this problem in pr _ pr week
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23/04/2015 Mental illhealth: It's time for us to grow up and talk about this problem in PR | PR Week
http://www.prweek.com/article/1343800/mentalillhealthitstimeusgrowtalkproblempr?DCMP=EMCCONPRWeekUKDailyNews&bulletin=uk%2F… 1/5
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Mental ill-health: It's time for us to growup and talk about this problem in PRAdded 25 hours ago by Daniel Kent , 2 comments
When I read the PR Week/PRCA survey on Mental Wellbeing, I did sowith a sense of relief.
Dan Kent: the characteristics that make PRs effective are also their Achilles heel
Our industry is finally acknowledging the dirty little secret that livesbeneath the newspapers and Starbuck’s cups. Whisper it, but PR peopleare vulnerable human beings and sometimes need support and help fromcolleagues and managers. Go figure…
The survey found that a third of people in PR have had mental health
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23/04/2015 Mental illhealth: It's time for us to grow up and talk about this problem in PR | PR Week
http://www.prweek.com/article/1343800/mentalillhealthitstimeusgrowtalkproblempr?DCMP=EMCCONPRWeekUKDailyNews&bulletin=uk%2F… 2/5
issues during their career – higher than the national average. This is nosurprise because the success of the industry is built on Type Apersonalities.
You just might know one or two people who fit the description of a Type A:determined, competitive, dedicated individuals who go above and beyondto get the job done on deadline (always) and on budget (mostly) no matterhow unreasonable the request.
I expect I’ve just described 90 per cent of your colleagues (and you’reprobably wondering whether the other 10 per cent are ‘right’ for PRanyway).
Type As make it happen. They make the company look good and theywork hard. But here’s the not very surprising punch line: Type As are moreprone to anxiety, stress and depression than more relaxed B and Cpersonality types.
The characteristics that make PR consultants great at their jobs are thesame traits that put them at higher risk of mental illness.
Now, we won’t change the way the industry works anytime soon. Ifanything, the pressure will keep rising. So what can we do?
We need start by squashing the lie that mental illness is a sign ofweakness or something embarrassing. It is a response to stimulus, it canaffect anyone and hardworking, perfectionist, Type A personalities arenaturally prone.
Second, companies and managers need to start talking openly aboutmental wellbeing and creating an environment that helps staff recognisethe symptoms. The sooner these are spotted and addressed, the lessimpact they have.
Stress and anxiety thrive on fear and isolation. We need to look for signsof mental illness and deal compassionately with them. If people do getsigned off they should feel like they can return to work withoutstigma. Right now, we are a long way from that point, but it's a good thingto aim for.
Finally, let’s have grown up conversations. There is an unspoken rule thatwe don’t ask for deadline extensions but maybe sometimes it’sOK. Urgent is a word so overused it has become meaningless, so why not
23/04/2015 Mental illhealth: It's time for us to grow up and talk about this problem in PR | PR Week
http://www.prweek.com/article/1343800/mentalillhealthitstimeusgrowtalkproblempr?DCMP=EMCCONPRWeekUKDailyNews&bulletin=uk%2F… 3/5
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pressuretest it? Most people will accept deadline extensions if there is agood reason or if trust exists. Easing the pressure once in a while canmake a big difference to mental wellbeing.
The shiny Type A personalities all around you make this industry tick.Let’s start acknowledging and accepting that they need support in theirmental wellbeing as well as career development. I’m not talking grandgestures, just compassion and flexibility.
Try it. I guarantee your business will survive. Who knows, it might even dobetter…
Daniel Kent is senior partner and head of healthcare atFleishmanHillard London and a qualified psychotherapist with hisown practice
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PR Director Creative, design companyReuben Sinclair London
Associate Director, Financial Services, Central LondonThe Foundry Original London (Central), London (Greater)
23/04/2015 Mental illhealth: It's time for us to grow up and talk about this problem in PR | PR Week
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Associate Director, Corporate, Financial Services, LondonThe Foundry Original London (Central), London (Greater)
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23/04/2015 Mental illhealth: It's time for us to grow up and talk about this problem in PR | PR Week
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