Anxiety, PTSD, agoraphobia: The mental health toll on MPs who lose their seats

A new study looks at the emotional, psychological and financial challenges of life after politics
Dr Amy Nethery (PhD)
Liberal candidate Tim Wilson (centre) campaigns for the seat of Goldstein, Melbourne, Saturday, 21 May 2022
Liberal candidate Tim Wilson (centre) campaigns for the seat of Goldstein, Melbourne, Saturday, 21 May 2022.

As counting winds up for the 2022 election, many former MPs are beginning a whole new life beyond Parliament.

The experience of those who lost their seats is often shattering. Former Liberal MP Tim Wilson said he was in the “fetal position crying” the morning after the 21 May poll.