What types of mental health problems are we talking about?

Barnard, (Barnard J 2008[1]) when considering how characteristic CEO pathological tendencies can lead to dysfunctional boards and companies, focused on narcissism, over- optimism, fear, anger, and depression, as being the key prevalent issues that repeatedly impact on elite leadership performance. Depression is singled out by Barnard as being a disorder which is -uniquely – uniformly destructive for CEOs, whereas the other dysfunctions, while also potentially damaging, can confer some benefits. Ironically, depression is, nevertheless, also the one condition for which effective treatment is most robustly evidenced. 

Mental health disorders and substance misuse are closely linked. Each perpetuates the other. Executives are prone to neglecting the fundamentals of self-care, so adaptive activities such as family and relaxation times and hobbies are neglected, while readily available substances like alcohol are used to access quick, transient relief from stress. O’Connell and Bevvino[2] hypothesised that for executives, who, by their very nature, are accustomed to being in control and managing everything around them, it may be a natural extension to believe they can control their mental health without external help, by conveniently reaching for a substance of their choice.

[1] Barnard, J. (2008) The interior lives of corporate leaders. William & Mary Law School Scholarship Repository. Last accessed online 21.5.2023. [Available at]: https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1010&context=facpubs

[2] O’Connell, D. and Bevvino, D. (2007). Managing Your Recovery from Addiction: A Guide for Executives, Senior Managers, and Other Professionals. Routledge. 1^st Ed.