Watch 3 Entrepreneurs Talk About Their Mental Health Journey -- and Their Advice for Other Founders (Video) Here's why it's especially important for entrepreneurs need to talk about mental health.
By Hayden Field
Entrepreneurs are often self-starters. Innovators. Problem-solvers. Risk-takers.
But they also may be more likely to report mental health concerns, according to research out of the University of California, which found that 48 percent of entrepreneurs reported having one or more mental health conditions, compared to 30 percent of non-entrepreneurs. (Note the sample size for entrepreneurs was larger.)
"A lot of people assume that if you're successful -- if you have a business -- you don't struggle with these issues," said fitness entrepreneur Emily Skye. "I've struggled with them. I still struggle every day."
The level of commitment it takes to launch a company can take a toll on anyone's well-being, but it can also exacerbate existing mental health conditions. Entrepreneur spoke to a range of entrepreneurs in different industries -- fashion, fitness, writing and more -- about why it's vital to talk about mental health with entrepreneurs, the potential toxicity of success, mental health warning signs, what helped them move forward in their own struggles and their best advice for other founders.
"You really tend to stake a lot of your sense of self-worth or success on how this company goes -- in a way that you might not with a job where you're working for someone else -- and I think that can be really dangerous for mental health," said Gabriela Pereira, founder of DIY MFA.
Watch the first episode of Entrepreneur's video series on mental health for more.
