Matt Doran praised for acknowledging battle with depression
"I've had huge problems with depression over the last couple of years," reveals Matt Doran. "But people, I think, are still frightened to come forward and say that."
- Published by David Knox
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Seven presenter Matt Doran has been praised for opening up about his personal battle with mental health, during an interview on The Morning Show.
Doran and host Kylie Gillies were today interviewing psychiatrist Dr. Mark Cross who, when speaking about his book Mental State: The Honest Manifesto revealed health clinicians can be guilty of not looking after themselves.
“Mental health in the workplace is a huge issue,” said Dr. Cross. “We in Health are dreadful at it. Nurses, doctors, clinicians, everyone. They don’t want to be open about themselves. So that’s what I write about. If we’re not open about ourselves, then how the hell are we supposed to then treat people properly who come for care? And then the siege mentality develops because we’re short staffed. So there’s so few of us. And then so we feel overwhelmed. And what happens? You take it out on the people who come to you for help because you can’t cope. That’s an issue.”
Matt Doran asked, “Are we getting better, do you think, Doctor, at putting our hand up like you did and saying, ‘I’ve got a problem with anxiety?’
“I mean, I’ve had huge problems with depression over the last couple of years too. But people, I think, are still frightened to come forward and say that.”
“That’s amazing you say that,” Dr. Cross replied. “It really is because people in the spotlight… the more that we talk about it, the better it is. Covid was great for that, right? So we’re speaking about it more than ever before.
“But during Covid 2020 alone, 76 million people worldwide developed anxiety, 53 million developed depression. It’s a 25% increase from the year before. It’s really sobering stats, isn’t it? We have to be more open.”
Doran has previously been the subject of press articles around “unexplained absences” but today was credited with being candid about his own mental health.
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5 Responses
Bravo for being vulnerable about a topic that can still be taboo. Also, very timely given the recent press about the working conditions at Seven and how that has impacted employees’ mental health.
Good on Matt for speaking up and raising awareness. I too have noticed how some media outlets have tried to scandalise the fact that he might have a couple of weekends off presenting Sunrise, such irresponsible journalism.
Today is the ‘go to’ on weekedays when I can but prefer the Sunrise weekend edition.
Yes and the over the top bullying about the Adele interview fail was also a disgrace. Of course the only possible reason he could have failed to secure that interview was of incompetence not because he was ill!! So says the media narrative/pile on. That was sarcasm!! Shame on them all
It is such a shame some media outlets have taken the low road on this matter by seeking to repeatedly shame Mr Doran for his absences from Sunrise and difficulties while ill. The media are part of the problem on stigmatising this
Yes, I was going to say the same thing. Terrible reporting done especially by Daily Mail about him. It’s a disgrace.