Breaking the Silence on Mental Health at Work - Denis Trottier
Stories like those of Denis Trottier, a senior partner at KPMG, highlight the good that can come from disclosing a mental health condition when in a senior-level role.
This blog features highlights from conversations about mental healthcare transformation on the Wicked Mind pod, hosted by Dr. Diane McIntosh. Listen to the full conversation with Denis Trottier and then explore others in the Wicked Mind series.
Going public with a mental health diagnosis can be daunting. But doing so as a partner of one of Canada’s most prominent accounting firms had former partner Denis Trottier worried. “My brain kept telling me: ‘Am I going to be treated differently?’” he says. “’Is my career advancement going to be different?’”
Today, Trottier is the chief mental health officer (CMHO) for KPMG – the first role of its kind in Canada. And his disclosure wasn’t career-limiting. Instead, in 2019, when he spoke publicly about his mental illness – something he’d battled for years – his colleagues, including KPMG’s CEO, rallied around him. “When I finally did ask for help,” he recalls, “that first night I had the first great sleep in a long, long time. It was like lifting a big burden off my shoulders.”
Trottier is one of more than 6.7 million people in Canada living with symptoms of a mental illness today; that is one in five people, or about 19.8% of Canada’s population in any given year. And like most, he wasn’t alone in his reluctance to disclose his condition. A 2019 Ipsos study found that 75 percent of people report they would be reluctant to or would refuse to disclose a mental illness to an employer.
But, as his experience illustrates, the perception of mental illness is slowly changing, with more high-profile individuals speaking out about their diagnoses in recent years. And employers are recognizing the value in supporting their employees who are struggling with mental health issues.
“We all have a role to play,” says Trottier. “I think we’re all trying to think differently.”
Trottier had tried for years to cope with depression, which came on in bouts that would last for weeks and cause symptoms such as low mood, concentration problems and memory issues. He recalls fighting back tears as he tried to interact with clients, telling himself to “snap out of it.” Eventually he sought the help of a family doctor. He also relied on his strategic thinking—honed through his work with clients—to solve the issues his condition would cause.
Since his disclosure, he has had a number of realizations around mental illness, which he now shares with clients:
There is no difference between physical and mental illnesses.
Mental illness should not be viewed any differently than a physical condition, such an injury or illness, says Trottier. “I use a trick and say: ‘You had a car accident. Are you feeling guilty now that you have to learn to walk again and go to physio five days a week?” he asks.
Honesty can be rewarding.
Sharing a mental health diagnosis can actually have the opposite effect compared to the outcome an employee fears. Trottier says he was immensely relieved when he finally shared his battle with depression with his workplace. He believes that hiding a diagnosis of a mental illness can actually be damaging to a person’s career, as no one is aware of the struggles they’re facing. He says that during a recent interview with a young candidate, she shared that she had suffered from depression for a brief period during her studies at university, leading to a drop in her marks. Trottier was impressed with her honesty. “I just wanted to get up and hug her and say ‘Thank you,’” he says.
Talking about mental health normalizes it.
Trottier dreams of the day when water cooler chatter around mental health issues is commonplace. To that end, KPMG has mental health ally groups that foster conversations around mental health and help connect employees with appropriate support. He says the more employers and employees discuss their mental health concerns, the faster the stigma around disclosure will disappear.
Employers are increasingly being graded on their mental health offerings.
Trottier says that prospective employees used to grade employers on how much business they brought in and how prestigious they were. Now the tables have turned. He says candidates now evaluate organizations on the types of benefits they offer and compare notes. “If you are not focused on this space, then you are dead in the water from an attraction and retention standpoint,” he tells employers. “New team members tell me point blank, ‘Denis, I picked KPMG because of your mental health focus.’”
Putting someone in charge of mental health can reap rewards for an organization.
Trottier acknowledges that few employers can hire a CMHO. But ensuring there is someone tasked with mental health initiatives and is knowledgeable around mental health issues can help breed accountability and promote critical conversations.
Trottier has had a lot of success since revealing his struggle with depression. He now belongs to KPMG’s Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Council and has received the Royal Ottawa Inspiration Award for his work in the mental health space.
He said his role as CMHO has inspired him and many others. “My role is to open boardroom doors so team members can bring their whole selves to work and be comfortable talking about and caring for their mental health,” he says. “Now I say that the door is already open in corporate Canada. There’s a wedge underneath it and it’s not closing.”
Listen to the full episode>> The conversation covers Denis’ experience revealing depression at work, ideas for providing support for employees, changing work culture, and how new employees are looking at mental health benefits as part of their decision process.
This blog post is part of a series looking at the state of our mental healthcare system and ways we can create sustainable change to improve quality and outcomes for anyone impacted by mental illness.
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