The mental health effects of whistleblowing: reflections on working with whistleblowers

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to delve into the complex relationship between whistleblowing and mental health. It explores the various psychological burdens and costs associated with reporting wrongdoing, and the factors that exacerbate these burdens.

Design/methodology/approach

A collation of experiences and shared observations drawn from working with many whistleblowers across several industries.

Findings

The damage done, by the wrongdoers who retaliate against heroes of integrity (aka, whistleblowers), in most cases, destroys the lives and mental health of the person who does their civic, moral or legal duty, to address the illegalities they found. The State does not protect those who protect the State from harm done to the State. In the UK, the State, by its lack of support, further damages heroes of integrity, and witnessing that may encourage future potential whistleblowers to stay silent, thus encouraging more wrongdoing, which harms the State.

Research limitations/implications

The pattern of attacks on whistleblowers by wrongdoers is highly predictable, as are the mental health consequences that follow. More research is needed to identify the causal chain that directly links the pattern of whistleblower retaliation to the devastating mental health harm that follows.

Practical implications

The mental health and reputational harm done to whistleblowers by the retaliation they suffer, in the vast majority of cases, both removes them from making a contribution to the economy and renders them dependent on the State, for life. The harm done to whistleblowers by the wrongdoers, with no viable means of legal redress being available for whistleblowers, sends a chilling signal to anyone who would seek to expose organisational wrongdoing.

Social implications

If a society asks its citizens to comply with the law and imposes a moral, ethical and even legal duty on its citizens to address any wrongdoing they witness and yet does not protect those citizens from retaliation by the wrongdoers, then that society cannot expect citizens to do the right thing. That is evidenced by the fact that most people choose silent complicity when they encounter wrongdoing.

Originality/value

Until whistleblowing law protects right-doers from wrongdoers, those who are contemplating protecting society from organisational crimes would be well advised to join the vast ranks of the silently complicit rather than have their lives destroyed.

Citation

MacLennan, N. (2024), "The mental health effects of whistleblowing: reflections on working with whistleblowers", Mental Health and Social Inclusion, Vol. 28 No. 6, pp. 1357-1369. https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-04-2024-0051