Australia’s former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has revealed he sought treatment for debilitating anxiety during his time in office.
In a new book, Mr Morrison points to “pure physical exhaustion” and the “unrelenting and callous brutality of politics” as central to his struggles.
He said he was sharing his story to “de-stigmatise” mental illness.
“My doctor was amazed I had lasted as long as I had,” Mr Morrison writes, in an extract published by The Australian.
“Without this help, serious depression would have manifested.”Politicians are not made of stone, yet they’re often treated as though they are, including by each other,” he continued.
Mr Morrison – a conservative who led Australia from 2018 to 2022 – wrote on social media that he wanted to “normalise” something that was “very common for many Australians”.
He also told ABC News that he wanted to make clear that politicians experiencing mental illness can still perform at a high level.
“Because I sought help I was fully functional. [It is] important that people understand that this doesn’t have to hold you back. I went on to land Aukus in the midst of this,” Mr Morrison said, referring to a defence pact with the US and UK.
The 55-year-old father of two joins a growing cohort of world leaders who have opened up about similar issues, such as New Zealand’s former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who spoke about her struggles with burnout, and Mr Morrison’s predecessor Malcolm Turnbull who revealed in a memoir that he had experienced suicidal thoughts in 2009.
While in the top job, Mr Morrison oversaw Australia’s pandemic response, the 2019-20 bushfire crisis, and was embroiled in a historic scandal for secretly appointing himself to several ministerial positions.
In January he retired from politics after 17 years of public service, to join the private sector.
His departure had long been expected following a shattering election loss to Labor’s Anthony Albanese in 2022, which left the Liberal-National coalition with its lowest ever number of seats.
