Wellington mayor Tory Whanau wins praise for revealing ADHD diagnosis

By Pretoria Gordon of RNZ

Wellington mayor Tory Whanau has been praised for her decision to publicly announce she has ADHD with “significant traits of autism”.

Whanau was diagnosed in April and in a written statement to RNZ said it came as a massive surprise to her.

It was something she was still learning about herself.

“I have gone 40 years without this diagnosis and I now understand that my brain works a little bit differently,” she said.

ADHD New Zealand chairperson Darrin Bull said women with ADHD were under-represented.

“I think probably half the population will hear the news today, and say something like, ‘What? Girls can get ADHD?’”

In 2021, Green Party co-leader and spokesperson for mental health Chlöe Swarbrick revealed that she had received an adult diagnosis of ADHD.

“I believe that public representatives have a responsibility to be honest about who they are, which means with their flaws intact,” Whanau said.

She said she was “positively overwhelmed” by the reception she had received.

“Of course, there were nasty emails, social media comments, and all the rest, but on the whole, I found that from New Zealanders, especially New Zealanders who had been struggling to get their ADHD diagnosis and women who had been diagnosed later in life, that there was this kind of collective welcome and almost sigh of relief that somebody else in the public arena was talking about these experiences.”

Changing Minds, a charity which aims to reduce stigma and discrimination around mental health, said destigmatising neurodiversity in leadership roles “is really encouraging”.

Its chief engagement officer Jodie Bennett said: “We commend Tory Whanau on her openness and honesty.

“Being upfront about a diagnosis can be scary for fear or judgment.”

Mental Health Foundation chief executive Shaun Robinson also praised Whanau for revealing her diagnosis.

“I know from my own experience that people do have prejudices and stigmas, and so it is always a brave act to be upfront about being neurodiverse, or having a mental health challenge,” he said.

Wellington mayor Tory Whanau. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Robinson lives with bipolar disorder and said it was possible to be high-functioning in high-pressure jobs.

“You can be absolutely certain that there are many people – politicians, business leaders, community leaders – who have experienced mental health challenges,” he said.

“Fifty per cent of us will experience mental health challenge in our lifetimes – one in five of us in any year.”

Whanau said that, ultimately, her diagnosis was “a positive thing” and had impacted her job “in a positive sense”.

“What many perceive as the challenges of being neurodiverse are strengths,” she said.

“If it can help someone else feel a little bit more okay, or connect with me more as their mayor, then that is only a good thing.”

Minister for Mental Health and Associate Minister of Health Matt Doocey said he was heartened when he heard people in public life, and especially in leadership roles, being open about their experiences with neurodiversity and mental health.

“This tells me that we’ve come a long way in our society to a place where people can be more open about their experiences,” he said.

Doocey said New Zealanders living with neurodiversity and mental health issues make significant contributions to the world, but many of them face challenges in getting the support they need to live the lives they want and to participate fully in our communities.

“Improving their chances of being able to participate fully includes eliminating the prejudice and stigma many of them face,” he said.

“We know that negative attitudes towards neurodiversity are one of the biggest barriers identified by people.

“When leaders in our community talk about their experiences, they are challenging that stigma.”

- RNZ