Donald Trump Bizarrely Shares The 'Best Way to Stop Depression' — Mental Health Experts Fire Back

Days before the 2024 election, former President Donald Trump made an unexpected statement on how to combat depression. On the last weekend before voters cast their ballots, he discussed this at a Greensboro, North Carolina rally. Several of his supporters on X (formerly Twitter) agreed with his views, including Ross Wade, an Indiana developer and investor who also supported Trump's statement. However, after the video clip went viral, Trump was severely slammed by mental health experts for proposing a simple approach to dealing with a complex problem like depression.

As reported by Newsweek, Trump said, "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." Rebecca Gould, a psychological therapies professor, and mental health expert, reacted to Trump's comment by calling it "unhelpful" in several ways and claiming that it shows a lack of understanding of the realities of depression. Gould underlined that the remark not only misrepresents the condition but also fails to acknowledge the major impact it can have on people who live with it.

She said, "If it were that easy then people would be doing it and we wouldn't have any need for antidepressants or psychological therapies!" Gould clarified that Trump's plan is impractical and ineffective because depression affects the very cognitive processes needed to function. According to another mental health specialist Andrea K. Wittenborn of Michigan State University, Trump's remark carries the risk of making mental health even more stigmatized. Such comments, she continued, could discourage people from getting professional assistance because they promote the damaging idea that depression is just the result of a lack of effort.

Wittenborn emphasized that work may worsen symptoms of depression for many people, particularly if it adds stress to an already difficult situation. She pointed out that it can be extremely challenging to perform well at work when dealing with the typical symptoms of depression, such as fatigue, trouble concentrating, and a lack of motivation. Moving ahead, Glyn Lewis, another mental health specialist, reaffirmed this perspective, noting that depression is a serious illness that cannot be treated by willpower, even though being active can be helpful. He warned that overworking could make things harder for one during the path of recovery.

While he expresses his views on the mental health of others, Trump's psychological state has been questioned during the 2024 election campaign. For instance, an anti-Trump political party organized a letter last month that was signed by more than 200 mental health specialists. In the letter, they warned that Trump might be unqualified for leadership as he displays clear symptoms of "malignant narcissism," a serious and incurable personality disorder. They even went so far as to call Trump an existential threat to American democracy, as reported by The Guardian.