Earlier this week, President Donald Trump underwent a four-hour examination of physical and cognitive health. As of late, some were concerned about Trump’s erratic speech patterns, exhibited narcissism, often poor judgment and rash decision making. He was deemed healthy, passing the cognitive test — the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, widely used to test for early signs of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia — with a reportedly perfect score. This test is fairly high in validity but is not used to assess psychiatric disorders such as narcissistic personality disorder, anxiety or depression.
I’m not going to sit here as an undergraduate psychology student and give a definitive list of which mental disorders or impairments should preclude a person from being president and which should not. For that matter, I will not even try to craft a list of which should inhibit a person from functioning in any role of influence or leadership. What I will do, however, is discuss the difference, in my opinion, between cognitive impairment and psychological disorders. They should be examined and treated differently, in terms of both care and attitude.
According to a study by the Duke University Medical Center, in which biographical sources for the first 37 presidents were analyzed, half had been afflicted by mental illness. To add to that finding, more than a quarter met the criteria for mental illness while in office. About 24 percent met the criteria for depression, including former Presidents James Madison and Abraham Lincoln. Nearly 8 percent showed evidence of anxiety disorders, including former Presidents Thomas Jefferson and Woodrow Wilson. And close to 8 percent showed signs of bipolar disorder, including former Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Theodore Roosevelt.
None of these men were perfect. No one is. Did these mental disorders make their lives harder? Probably. Could these mental disorders have impacted their ability to lead? Maybe.
Here’s the thing, though: We cannot let mental disorders rule people out of positions of power. There is a theory that a high percentage of upper-level executives are psychopaths. I’m in no way saying being a psychopath is a good thing, but this clearly is not hindering their success and ability to lead.
I know a vast majority of you probably hate Trump or at least dislike him. You’re allowed to hate him and to be dissatisfied with his leadership style and/or his personality. You can wish that he be impeached or decide to resign. However, what you should not do is make a blanket statement that people affected by psychiatric disorders (whether officially diagnosed or merely theoretical) are unfit to do their jobs.
I think I’ve given Trump more than enough attention for the time being, so let’s talk about you, dear reader. I don’t know what you’re struggling with or what is going on inside your mind. I hope you have someone in your life — a friend, parent, mentor, therapist or whomever it may be — that you can talk to about what’s happening in there.
While a certain level of cognitive ability is desired depending on your role, you should not feel as though you are incapable of achieving what you wish based on a diagnosis. Don’t let anyone say you are less capable because your brain is wired differently than others’. We live in a time with a wide range of available treatment options, from behavioral-cognitive therapy to medication and so much more. Take advantage of whatever your resources allow you to. I hope you can embrace and conquer what your mind decides to throw your way. What Trump does a lot of the time is unnerving and, quite frankly, terrifying. But I hope he, like all of us, can play to his strengths and overcome his weaknesses to be a better, more stable leader.
Taylor Cavaliere is a UF journalism and psychology junior. Her column appears on Mondays.
