Men need to open up about mental health, says business executive who struggled with depression and anxiety for two years

Law firm COO Brian Henderson hid symptoms of mental illness from his family and friends for months

He finally told his doctor and was soon on the path to recovery. Now he is on a mission to help others who find themselves in the same boat

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Brian Henderson enjoying the outdoors in Hong Kong. Henderson battled mental illness for two years, and recently founded Whole Business Wellness to promote good mental health for people and organisations. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Published: 6:15pm, 15 Nov 2020Updated: 7:05pm, 15 Nov 2020

When Brian Henderson took to social media in October to talk about his hard-won battle with mental illness, he was met with an outpouring of support from friends and colleagues across the globe. Responding to his LinkedIn post, which came with the hashtag #thisisme, many thanked Henderson for shedding light on mental illness and encouraging sufferers to seek help.

Others – including those close to him – admitted they had no idea he had been ill for two years.

As chief operating officer of a global law firm in Hong Kong for more than eight years, Henderson had maintained a healthy and balanced lifestyle to offset the long hours and frequent travel that came with his demanding work schedule. A competitive outrigger canoeist and yoga enthusiast, the 55-year-old ate healthily and drank little alcohol. He had a network of family, friends and colleagues. For pleasure, he played the guitar.

But a series of events began to unfold that would take a toll on his mental health. In 2018, Henderson’s partner suffered a life-threatening asthma attack that radically altered her sporty lifestyle and the couple’s retirement plan to travel.