A Green Party MP has announced she will taking “several weeks off” from parliament due to burnout.
Carla Denyer said on Friday that she had been suffering with “persistent health issues” over the last few years.
The Bristol Central MP added that she hoped “by sharing my own struggles, I can help in some small way to combat the stigma” around the condition.
In a letter to constituents, she said: “I want to be open about the fact that what I am suffering from is burnout – and the mental and physical symptoms that arise from it.
“Burnout is a condition that does not tend to get better on its own. If left unmanaged, it can worsen and increase your risk of long-term health problems.
“This is something that I know will be familiar to many people in all walks of life, especially those working in high-stress environments and in people-facing professions such as nurses, teachers and social workers.
“But it is also something that too often is not openly discussed. I hope that by sharing my own struggles, I can help in some small way to combat the stigma around it, and contribute to a more open conversation.”
Burnout is a state of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion that can occur when someone experiences long-term stress or feels under constant pressure.
Ms Denyer is the former party co-leader of the Green Party.
She won her parliamentary seat in the 2024 general election, beating former Labour MP Thangam Debbonaire.
During her leave of absence, Ms Denyer said her constituency office will continue to run as normal and encouraged constituents should continue to get in touch with any issues they need help with.
Ms Denyer said: “I have been struggling with persistent health issues and I have been trying to manage these alongside the long hours and significant responsibility my work entails.
“It has become clear that this is not an effective strategy and that doing so is inhibiting my ability to recover.
“Having taken advice from my doctor, I will be taking several weeks off in order to try to get back to full health.”
