Lee Robertson, chief executive and founder of Octo Members Group, has said that mental health issues are "more widespread in the industry" than it may appear, after he opened up about his own struggles.
Speaking to FT Adviser, Robertson opened up about his own mental health struggles while working in the financial services sector and explained what needs to be done to spark dialogue within the industry.
In an article posted on the Octo website last week (January 10) Robertson shared his battle with mental health.
He said: “Throughout last year, as a multitude of difficult challenges built, so did the stress. Eventually, the amount of stress I was under was so intense and all-consuming, that I experienced a full-on mental health crisis.
“At one particularly low moment, my co-founder and friend Andy came immediately to my rescue when he awoke to rambling messages sent overnight indicating my despair. I was in a dark place and needed help.”
Breaking the taboo
Robertson highlighted it was important to break the taboo when it comes to talking about mental health within the industry.
He said: “I was always seen as robust and resilient, I have been in the sector for a long time and have always been upbeat.
“I’m from the generation where we were told to ‘suck it up’ and ‘man up’, putting on a brave face when beneath that I was really struggling.”
If people in the industry can be seen to be opening up in some shape or form this can encourage others to do the same, said Robertson.
Impacts of mental health on work
Robertson also spoke about his work being negatively impacted as a result of his mental health.
He said: “My work suffered, I was completely off my game, I would find by the end of the week I could barely string two thoughts together, I also developed a stutter.”
Not being mentally well and allowing it to build up and fester will ultimately affect a person’s work and sooner or later can affect the relationships people have with their colleagues and clients.
Robertson said: “Work is all about relationships. As an adviser it’s about the people you serve.
“We work in a fantastic community made up of great people who come to work every day to do their best for their clients and I think that has to apply to ourselves and our colleagues too.”
Octo Members was set up by Robertson as a network for financial services professionals to share thoughts and ideas.
Robertson highlighted he noticed a lot more people feeling under pressure within the Octo network.
He said: “You look at the world right now in terms of the economy, geopolitical tensions, inflation, mortgage costs, the cost-of-living crisis, it’s not just affecting clients but also the people that work in the sector.”
