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Mental Health for Entrepreneurs & Founders

Startup founders, solopreneurs, small-business owners. Real stats, specific resources, and guidance written for the particular culture of this profession — not generic advice.

The numbers
~50% of founders report mental health issues during their company's life. Founder depression: 2× general population. Bipolar and ADHD overrepresented.
~32M US small-business owners + ~5M VC-backed founders

Why mental health looks different here

Identity fusion with the company. Board / investor relationships complicate disclosure. Cash-runway anxiety is existentially different from job anxiety. Loneliness of 'being the one who decides.'

Profession-specific resources

Built for your job. Not generic EAP. These know the culture.

Founders Alcohol-Free
Peer network for sober founders + recovery.
Open →
Reboot.io
Executive coaching + peer groups specifically for founders — Jerry Colonna.
Open →
YPO / EO / Vistage
Peer forums with confidentiality rules.
Open →

Most common issues in founders

Based on prevalence data for this profession. Each links to a specific resource on Typical Male.

Licensure / fitness-for-duty — what's real and what's myth

Public-company founders have board/SEC considerations. Private-company founders have more privacy. Investor disclosure is NOT required for mental health treatment in standard VC term sheets.

Free tool
Not sure what's going on?

The PHQ-9 + GAD-7 screeners your doctor uses. Private. Printable for your appointment. Tracks over time.

Take the PHQ-9 →