87.7% of entrepreneurs struggle with at least one mental health issue

Based on headline, I thought it was going to be about the varying degrees of psychopathy of founders. Or maybe the lack of empathy.

I guess the suggestion here is entrepreneurs are much more likely to develop or amplify existing mental health issues (anxiety, impostor syndrome, depression, financial stress)

Personally, I think of an entrepreneur as a strictly business decision. Set specific goals that need to be met in order to determine future sustainability. If goals are not met. Then shelf the project and cut your losses.

The added stress of wearing multiple hats is acknowledged though. I’m not much of a marketing type person and getting that right is often half the battle.

According to the the NIMH, in the US in 2021, a bit more than 20% of the general population had at least one mental health issue.

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness

I question the value of pathologizing every aberration in society - Everyone's weird and a little crazy. :-)

This makes me think of Michel Foucault's perspective on mental illness. That what we pathologize in society is related to what society values negatively in someone's personality and temperament. I agree that this has been historically true but may be changing more with the modern approach to mental illness.

The way the idea of pathology was taught to me when I took my introductory Psychology classes was framed more in relationship to the idea of healthy functioning. This meant being able to fulfill obligations like being able to work and take care of yourself but also recognizing conditions whose harm is more internally felt.

This definition presented to me doesn't entirely escape Foucault's view of your environment determining what is or isn't a pathology, but when it was taught to me it felt like a reflection of a less socially determined view of mental illness. Mental illness has gained a greater emphasis on helping to improve the personal mental state of the individual irrespective of social expectations. Maybe I am being more idealistic with this thinking.

It would interesting to hear from someone with more professional experience on this since I've only dabbled with a few college classes and books on the subject so my knowledge is quite limited.