Several mental health experts have criticized Donald Trump after he said that the “best way to stop depression is to work you’re a** off.”
The former president made the comment at a rally in Greensboro, North Carolina, on the final weekend before Election Day.
He said: “We are just three days away from the greatest political victory in the history of our country, I guess in the history of the world. But it only happens if you vote. If you don’t vote, then bad things could happen you’ll be very depressed, and we don’t want to have depression right, there’s no depression.
“You know, the best way to stop depression? Work your a** off. You don’t have time. You want to work so hard that you don’t have time for depression.”
Many users on X applauded the comment, with Indiana-based developer and investor Ross Wade writing: “The best cure for depression is to have a defined purpose and obsessively pursue it.”
🚨TRUMP: “We don’t want to have depression. You know the best way to stop depression? Work your ass off. You don’t have time. You want to work so hard you don’t have time for depression.”
This is honestly incredible life advice from Trump. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/TRkmZdlCxZ
— Autism Capital 🧩 (@AutismCapital) November 3, 2024
But one mental health expert told Newsweek Trump’s comment is “unhelpful” in many ways, while another said it could “stigmatize those who are affected and discourage them from seeking treatment.”
“This misconception about depression can be harmful because it sends a message that people suffering from depression simply need to work harder to relieve their symptoms,” Michigan State University’s Andrea K. Wittenborn, Ph.D. said.
The human development professor, who holds an appointment in the Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, told Newsweek: “Depression is a complex mental health condition that affects millions of people and is the leading cause of disability. The misconception that working harder could prevent or treat depression may further stigmatize those who are affected and discourage them from seeking treatment.”
“For many, work can exacerbate symptoms of depression if it leads to increased stress. In addition, the symptoms of depression, such as fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and lack of motivation, can make it difficult to perform well at work,” she added.
AP
Similarly, University College London (UCL)’s Rebecca Gould, a professor of psychological therapies, called the message “unhelpful in numerous ways.”
She told Newsweek: “It demonstrates a clear misunderstanding of what depression is and the significant impact that depression can have on people’s lives. It minimizes people’s struggles with depression in suggesting that all you’ve got to do is work hard to stop depression. If it were that easy then people would be doing it and we wouldn’t have any need for antidepressants or psychological therapies!
“Depression affects exactly the same cognitive resources that are needed to work (such as attention and working memory), so working while you’re depressed is just not that easy or productive.
“Finally, pushing away and avoiding difficult thoughts and feelings by working so hard might help in the short-term, but it has detrimental effects on mental well-being in the longer term. This has been demonstrated in the literature time and time again.”
Glyn Lewis, a professor of epidemiological psychiatry at UCL, told Newsweek that it is “a good idea to keep active if you are feeling depressed” but that “depression is an illness and cannot be overcome by an effort of will.”
He added: “Working too hard can be stressful and could be unhelpful in recovering from depression.”
Newsweek has contacted Trump’s team, via email outside of normal working hours, for a response to these comments.
About one in every six U.S. adults will have depression at some point in their lives, with the illness affecting about 16 million American adults every year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
