A phenomenological inquiry into the experiences of men who have felt depressive symptoms while in a senior organisational leadership role

This research investigates the experiences of men who have felt depressive symptoms while in a senior organisational leadership role. While there is a considerable literature on employee mental health, relatively little is known about mental health in senior leaders, including their experiences of depression. This is a significant oversight because although senior leaders comprise only a small minority of the workforce, their roles are usually demanding and highly visible, with responsibility for many others and for their organisation’s continued viability. This makes having a mental health issue like depression potentially very challenging for those in a leadership role, and even more so because the societal stigma that surrounds mental health means that leaders, especially those who are men, can find it hard to get help.

The present study uses Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore the lived experience of four male senior leaders who had felt depressive symptoms while in their roles. Each participant was interviewed on two occasions a few weeks apart. The analysis identified four superordinate themes capturing their experiences: 1) An enveloping sense of burden; 2) Pushing through: resisting depressive feelings to be a leader; 3) Pulling away; 4) Breaking open and connecting with others. Each superordinate theme contained either two or three sub-themes, totalling ten in all.

This study contributes to research and practice in counselling psychology and workplace mental health by revealing the often-hidden nature of senior leaders’ depressive experiences, the tension leaders feel between continuing to work and wanting to hide and hold back, and the process through which they can come forward and connect with others, prompting change in themselves and their organisations. The study has several clinical and organisational implications, including the importance of enabling leaders and those who support them to better recognise how depressive feelings may present, and interventions attuned to, and supporting change in, the particular contexts in which leaders are working.