Exploring mental health, the built environment and workplace culture with Derek Wilson MRICS

My passion for sustainability led me to continue my education at the University of Oxford, where I completed an MSc in Sustainable Urban Development. Upon completion, I was recruited by Transport for London (TfL) to lead their feasibility study programme, and after several promotions, I had the opportunity to take on the role of Head of Sustainability. During that time, I oversaw environmental, economic, and social impact across a £20 Billion portfolio of existing assets, property developments, and urban regeneration projects, which allowed me to work with my team and develop an innovative data-led approach to driving impact – the Sustainable Development Framework (SDF).

The SDF earned TfL widespread recognition and led to the company being recognised as the most sustainable diversified property developer in Europe by GRESB. Seeing the impact that the approach could deliver, I left TfL in 2022 to start Synergetic, a sustainability analytics company that is making the SDF approach scalable to the wider industry. We now work with major asset management and development, clients all around the world – helping them to drive positive impact and commercial value at the same time.

What has been your experience with mental health?

In my mid-teens, I started experiencing severe depressive symptoms and often thought about ending my life. I was diagnosed with depression, given a prescription for antidepressants, and provided with therapy and support from psychiatric professionals.

Unfortunately, despite this support, my condition continued to deteriorate through to my early 20s. I would intermittently experience severe depressive episodes which would be crippling, along with periods of anxiety and recklessness. I was out of control for the better part of four years. I started to skip school and began abusing alcohol and drugs. A desire to end my life was a regular occurrence, and for some time I was in and out of the emergency room, seeking help but always being discharged the next day.

It was only after three years of self-destruction that I received a correct diagnosis: Bipolar Type 2, a relatively rare form of bipolar disorder. Often confused with depression because it lacks the manic ‘highs’ of the more commonly known Type 1, it involves rapid cycling between depressive and ‘hypomanic’ (elevated, but not manic) episodes and oftentimes a mix of depressive and hypomanic symptoms. After my diagnosis, I was put on a combination of medications to manage my condition. Though it is a continual challenge and requires work and effort every day, I have been able to manage my condition effectively and haven’t seriously considered harming myself since.

You’ve had an incredibly successful career and made it to the top of your field. Yet throughout this time, you were hiding your mental health condition from your peers. Can you talk about this?

When most people think of bipolar disorder, they generally picture a person with wild highs, deep lows, and a ‘crazy’ level of instability. They view it as a mental health condition that is incompatible with ‘normality’, and indeed, professionalism. These are deeply problematic and misguided perceptions, but the stigma around bipolar disorder is massive.

Because of this, I hid my condition from my colleagues, managers, and even many of my family members and friends. I felt that letting people know about my condition would alienate those close to me, lead to scepticism and mistrust from colleagues and managers, and ultimately, block me from career advancement. Even when I was struggling or needed support, I battled through silently, hoping nobody would notice.

Ultimately, you decided to share your mental health condition with colleagues and executives at TfL. What made you decide to do so, and what was the experience like?

I’d been Head of Sustainability for a few years and there was no desire or scope for further career progression in the organisation. I was fortunate to no longer have concerns about my career progression, however, I still had concerns about my reputation and colleague perceptions.

The leadership team at TfL decided to hold a team meeting to discuss hidden disabilities and invited colleagues to anonymously submit stories that would be shared with the group. I decided to share mine confidentially with our office manager, who I knew would be supportive, and let my story be read aloud in the meeting. Importantly, it talked about how I had remained silent about my challenges because I feared how colleagues would react.

During the meeting, it occurred to me: if I, as somebody who has no concerns about career progression, can’t speak up and talk openly about these issues, how could somebody else? I still had reservations. But just before the meeting closed, I felt the need – perhaps even the obligation – to ‘come out’ as the anonymous bipolar colleague.

I came out as gay when I was 16 in a conservative part of Canada, but I can say without hesitation that ‘coming out’ as bipolar to colleagues was far more difficult. Fortunately, the response was overwhelmingly positive. The culture of support at TfL was extraordinary and colleagues were exceptionally supportive. Following the meeting, roughly 10% of the team members in a department of nearly 100 approached me afterward to tell me that they were struggling in silence and felt even after my experience that they could not share their challenges for fear of reduced career progression. We have work to do.

What advice would you give to someone who is struggling with their mental health?

Struggling with mental health is an individual journey – everybody experiences it differently, and the road to recovery is always unique. There is no universal advice I can give, other than to say; be brave enough to ask for help. Whether from a doctor, therapist, friend, family member, colleague, manager, or a support group, being able to talk through your challenges and feel heard and supported is the most important step.

What advice would you give to leaders, managers, and colleagues on how they can support someone going through poor mental health and break taboos around the subject?

There are many ways for leaders and managers to support colleagues, and as an industry, I think we are getting better at supporting those who ask for help. However, colleagues are often still too afraid to disclose mental health experiences and access support.

What we can do is to make mental health visible. We often talk about mental health in the workplace, but it is often just that; until we stop speaking in the abstract and start sharing personal stories with our peers, people won't come forward.

To give an example, while at TfL a member of the executive team shared during a team meeting on mental health that he had a relative dealing with anxiety. He talked about his relative’s struggles, and his experiences trying to support him. The simple act of saying “I’ve dealt with mental health challenges (directly or indirectly), so I get it, I don’t judge, and I am here to support you if you need it” is powerful. If you can do this, it may be the most powerful thing you can do.

Can you tell us about your current work with AbilityRE and how you are working towards challenging stereotypes around mental health?

I recently joined the Executive Committee of AbilityRE, a fantastic organisation committed to making the real estate industry more inclusive and accepting of individuals with disabilities and mental health conditions. We are currently working to share stories, raise the visibility of people's experiences, and help organisations understand how to build supportive company cultures and operations.

In the coming months, I will be doing a podcast with my former boss at TfL, Graeme Craig, to share insights on both my journey and how TfL has built a culture where everybody is able and encouraged to bring their full selves to work.

If you want to support the organisation or become part of the network, I’d encourage colleagues across the industry to reach out and connect at www.abilityre.co.uk.