Bestselling author and former Globe and Mail reporter Jan Wong spoke at Carleton Nov. 26 about her latest book, Out of the Blue.
The two-hour event was hosted by the Carleton Institute of Health: Science, Technology and Policy and Carleton’s vice-president (research and international) Kim Matheson.
The memoir focuses on her traumatic experience working for the Globe and Mail while suffering from depression, highlighting the growing problem of depression in the workplace.
Wong captivated her audience as she retold her story of how she, despite being a third-generation Canadian, was bombarded with a host of racist emails, disturbing packages, and even a death threat after the Globe and Mail published her article covering the Dawson shootings in Montreal.
“Those racist attacks after Dawson may have pushed me into depression,” Wong stated.
Wong said the Globe and Mail published 13 letters criticizing her article, as well as one written by the editor-in-chief at the time. When Wong went on sick leave, on recommendation from her family doctor, the corporation was skeptical of her illness, she said.
“Essentially they were saying, ‘you’re a liar. You’re not sick, you’re lying,’” Wong said.
Wong said the Globe insisted that she see an independent psychiatrist, who confirmed that she was depressed. Wong said after this, the Globe hired private investigators to follow Wong, eventually using the observations to fire her.
Wong questions the decision.
“You can’t tell by looking at someone that they are depressed,” she said. She pointed to the pictures in her biography.
“I was in the middle of my depression when I had that photo taken, and you can’t tell.”
Upon leaving the Globe, Wong began working on Out of the Blue. She said the Globe attempted to interfere with the publication process, prompting her to self-publish it.
“Everybody wants to impose a gag order on you,” she said. “Nobody wants to talk about workplace depression.”
“I’d like to change the corporate behaviour in this country,” she said.
Patrick Dion, the vice-chair of the board of directors of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, also spoke briefly about mental health in the workplace, describing the commission’s plans to release a voluntary workplace mental health standard in 2013.
“Every piece of the puzzle that helps to further define what is expected in the workplace, when it comes to mental health and wellbeing, is an improvement to ensure that cases like [Wong’s] don’t repeat themselves,” Dion said.
He also said he believes students will play a vital role in determining the importance of mental health in the future.
“The seeds that are being germinated on campuses like Carleton across Canada will really be the final catalyst to bring the mainstream into the discussion of mental health in industry,” he said.
Wong echoed these sentiments.
“We’ve reached a tipping point,” Wong said. “[Mental illness has] been in the closet, but now it’s coming out of the closet and public opinion’s going to change.”
