Mental health and the tax professional

By Jan Socha, CPA

As tax professionals, we’re all about the numbers; the black and white; the right and the wrong. This often means we are really good at removing emotions and feelings from what we’re focusing on.

I spoke with a member recently about the last tax season and she shared with me her struggles with mental health and the impacts it had on her as a tax professional. This member, a CPA and sole owner of her own firm, said she felt more stressed and overwhelmed than ever before. NATP felt this was a great topic for a blog, as this may also be a common experience for many other tax pros this year.

In the area of mental health, there is not a lot of information available specifically targeted for tax professionals. A google search on the topic resulted in limited hits, but there was a Journal of Accountancy article from February 2020 titled “Depression and the CPA” that may be an interesting and helpful read.

According to the CDC, “Mental health includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others and make healthy choices.”

The CDC goes on to say, “Mental illnesses are among the most common health conditions in the United States.” Here are some statistics from the CDC:

• More than 50% will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetime
• 1 in 5 Americans will experience a mental illness in a given year
• 1 in 5 children, either currently or at some point during their life, have had a seriously debilitating mental illness
• 1 in 25 Americans lives with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression

There is no single cause for mental illness. A number of factors, including having a feeling of loneliness or isolation, can contribute to risk for mental illness – two things we all experienced this past year or so. Depression and anxiety are two of the most common types of mental disorders.

For many tax professionals, busy season, in and of itself, can be a very stressful time period. Factor in what we have all been going through the last two seasons – the pandemic and a number of tax law changes – it is understandable if some of us are having issues related to mental health.

Based on a conversation we had with the member who reached out to us, she suffered from anxiety this past season. After tax season ended, her anxiety seemed to worsen. She said she’s currently working with her doctor help alleviate the symptoms, but it’s not easy as it’s a process.

Worry, fear, and fear of embarrassment are three symptoms of an anxiety disorder. All of these emotions are experienced by tax professionals from time to time. Worry about getting the work done, fear that we won’t get the work done or fear we might miss something important, fear we might make a mistake, embarrassed, we may not know the answer – are all common thoughts of professionals.

For weeks, professionals are go, go, go, and then the hustle ends, and it almost feels like we hit a brick wall – meaning what do I do now with all my time? Also, with all the changes related to COVID (change in how we met with clients, change in procedures, change in tax law to name a few) we may have felt out of control.

We feel responsible for clients and don’t want to let them down. We may even feel worthless (a symptom of depression) when they get an IRS notice (fear of embarrassment), even if the notice is not connected to our work (client failed to provide information, for example). We tend to feel like we should know everything, and for some, asking for help (both personally and professionally), is difficult.

When talking to other tax professionals, many had similar experiences and she (our member) knows she is not alone with these feelings. Help is out there.

You can reach out to a doctor or other professional and no one needs to know.

For those who feel they may be suffering from a mental illness, it is important you talk to your health care professional and seek help. Feeling Good- The New Mood Therapy is a book that was recommended by our member that she said helped her a lot – especially the feel-good self-evaluation that’s included.

Our hope is that if you are dealing with mental illness (or know someone who is/might be), you know you are not alone and there are resources available. Talking to each other about the struggles of this profession helps, and if you’re looking for a virtual network of support, we encourage you to check out our Facebook group where you can connect with other industry professionals and maybe even find someone nearby to discuss in person the good, the bad and the ugly that comes with being a tax professional in 2021.