Mentor/s
Dr. Daniel Rober Dr, Michelle Loris
Participation Type
Paper Talk
Abstract
Mental Illness in the Accounting Profession
The accounting field is known as a very stressful field. Accountants are known for working long hours, with fast-approaching deadlines and a lot of pressure. In this field, there is a huge stigma surrounding mental health and it is usually ignored within the community. Stressors such as the CPA exam and the cutthroat atmosphere only add to the increase of mental health issues within accounting. Without the normalization of talking about mental health, many accountants go untreated for depression and anxiety or they are afraid to talk about their toxic work environment. There are a lot of improvements that firms can make in order to limit stress and anxiety and make it more comfortable for employees to find the help they need. Accounting is also a male-dominating field, which can lead to the women within the field being at a higher risk for poor mental health. They are more likely to opt-out of getting help in order to prove themselves to co-workers and people higher up in their firm or company. Furthermore, with the current state of the world being in a pandemic, many people have been forced to switch from working in-person to working at home. This added isolation is another stressor added to all the other reasons why accountants tend to have poor mental health and why they go untreated. This paper will discuss the struggles of mental health in accounting and how firms can make changes.
College and Major available
Accounting, Marketing BS
Location
Digital Commons
Start Day/Time
5-5-2021 1:00 PM
End Day/Time
5-5-2021 4:00 PM
Prize Categories
Most Scholarly Impact or Potential, Best Writing (formerly called the Writing Across the Curriculum prize; the final submission date to be considered for this award is Apr 1), Most Meaningful
Mental Illness in the Accounting Profession
Digital Commons
Mental Illness in the Accounting Profession
The accounting field is known as a very stressful field. Accountants are known for working long hours, with fast-approaching deadlines and a lot of pressure. In this field, there is a huge stigma surrounding mental health and it is usually ignored within the community. Stressors such as the CPA exam and the cutthroat atmosphere only add to the increase of mental health issues within accounting. Without the normalization of talking about mental health, many accountants go untreated for depression and anxiety or they are afraid to talk about their toxic work environment. There are a lot of improvements that firms can make in order to limit stress and anxiety and make it more comfortable for employees to find the help they need. Accounting is also a male-dominating field, which can lead to the women within the field being at a higher risk for poor mental health. They are more likely to opt-out of getting help in order to prove themselves to co-workers and people higher up in their firm or company. Furthermore, with the current state of the world being in a pandemic, many people have been forced to switch from working in-person to working at home. This added isolation is another stressor added to all the other reasons why accountants tend to have poor mental health and why they go untreated. This paper will discuss the struggles of mental health in accounting and how firms can make changes.
Students' Information
Melissa Donald is an Accounting and Marketing Major with an Honors minor that will be graduating in December of 2021.