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Mark Cowan, distinguished professor in the Department of Accountancy, delivered a talk at the Association of Government Accountants’ spring professional development meeting in April 2025, held in Meridian, Idaho. His presentation, “Mental Health for Accountants: From Barriers to Boundaries,” tackled an often-overlooked issue within the accounting profession: the stigma surrounding mental health.
“Mental disorders are not signs of weakness of character or lack of stamina,” he said. “Anxiety and depression are medical conditions like physical ailments such as heart disease.”
In an industry grounded in logic, precision and analytical thinking, mental health struggles are frequently handled in a clumsy and irrational manner. Cowan noted that this culture can create unrealistic and unhealthy expectations of emotional resilience.
“The objective, rational thinking we deploy so effectively on the job becomes distorted when used to combat anxiety and depression,” he said.
While no one can singlehandedly solve the issue of mental health in the workplace, Cowan emphasized that awareness and empathy can go a long way. The first step, he explained, is starting the conversation.
“The goal of discussing mental health issues in the CPA workplace is not to solve our or our colleagues’ problems but to show that we notice and care,” Cowan said.
By encouraging openness and understanding, Cowan hopes to help shift the accounting profession toward a more supportive and compassionate culture, one where mental well-being is treated with the same seriousness as physical health.