We’ve now come to the end of TP’s mental health week. It’s been a delight to work on, not least because of all the interesting feedback and ideas we’ve had from so many of our readers in the comments and on Twitter and Facebook. Even more than when I started this, I’m convinced that the culture in the political sphere is changing, and people want to talk about this issue openly where before they might have suffered in silence.
Before we return to normal blog service next week, I’d like to draw your attention to a few of the contributions that might be worth a click. First, Sadie Smith’s incredible article about her own experiences of depression and anxiety on the parliamentary estate is definitely worth a look, not least because of her response when her doctor asked her if she worked in a supportive environment - “No! I am in politics, so I’m surrounded by douchebags!”. Next, I recommend Sebastian Mann’s profile of Kjell Magne Bondevik – the Norwegian PM who stepped down temporarily because of a depressive episode, only to be re-elected when he returned to office. Charlotte Henry argued here that the increased openness allowed by the internet and social media could do wonders for the stigma surrounding politicians with mental health problems, and Charlotte Vere introduced us to the concept of ‘mindfulness’ as a way of escaping from the incessant stream of information the political world subjects us to.
You can read all of the contributions here. Thanks very much for reading.