Editing Whistleblowing (section)

===Psychological impact===
There is limited research on the psychological impacts of whistle-blowing. However, poor experiences with whistleblowing can cause a prolonged and prominent assault on the well-being of the whistleblower. As workers attempt to address concerns, they are often met with a wall of silence and hostility by management or colleagues.<ref>Drew D (29 January 2015) [https://www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2015/jan/29/francis-review-nhs-whistleblower-report Francis NHS whistleblower report: a new beginning?] The Guardian</ref> [[Major depressive disorder|Depression]] is often reported by whistleblowers, and [[suicidal thoughts]] may occur in up to about 10%.<ref>Farnsworth CH (22 February 1987) [https://www.nytimes.com/1987/02/22/us/survey-of-whistle-blowers-finds-retaliation-but-few-regrets.html Survey of Whistleblowers finds retaliation, but few regrets] The New York Times</ref><ref name="Lennane">{{Cite journal |pmc = 1678979|year = 1993|last1 = Lennane|first1 = K. J.|title = "Whistleblowing": A health issue|journal = British Medical Journal |volume = 307|issue = 6905|pages = 667–670|pmid = 8401056|doi = 10.1136/bmj.307.6905.667}}</ref> General deterioration in health and self-care has been described.<ref>Greaves R, McGlone JK (2012) [http://www.socialmedicine.info/socialmedicine/index.php/socialmedicine/article/view/584 The Health Consequences of Speaking Out] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191109090840/http://www.socialmedicine.info/socialmedicine/index.php/socialmedicine/article/view/584 |date=9 November 2019 }} Social Medicine Vol 6, No 4 P259-263</ref> The range of symptomatology shares many of the features of [[posttraumatic stress disorder]], though there is debate about whether the trauma experienced by whistleblowers meets diagnostic thresholds.<ref>{{Cite journal | doi=10.1108/02683941311321178 |title = Workplace bullying after whistleblowing: Future research and implications|journal = Journal of Managerial Psychology|volume = 28|issue = 3|pages = 306–323|year = 2013|last1 = Bjørkelo|first1 = Brita|hdl = 11250/174696|hdl-access=free}}</ref> Increased [[Occupational stress|stress]]-related physical illness has also been described in whistleblowers.<ref name="Lennane" /><ref>Lennane J (17 November 1995) [https://documents.uow.edu.au/~bmartin/dissent/documents/Lennane_canary.html The canary down the mine: what whistleblowers' health tells us about their environment] Paper given at Department of Criminology, Melbourne University, conference: "Whistleblowers: protecting the nation's conscience?"</ref>

The stresses involved in whistleblowing can be huge and may deter whistleblowing out of fear of failure and reprisals.<ref>{{Cite journal | doi=10.7748/ns2014.02.28.24.14.s19 | pmid=24517665| title=Survey highlights slow progress in increasing staff whistleblowing| journal=Nursing Standard| volume=28| issue=24| pages=14–15| year=2014| last1=Sprinks| first1=Jennifer}}</ref> Some whistleblowers speak of overwhelming and persistent distress, drug and alcohol problems, [[paranoid]] behavior at work, acute [[anxiety (mood)|anxiety]], [[nightmares]], [[Flashback (psychology)|flashbacks]], and [[intrusive thoughts]].<ref name="Peters">{{Cite journal |last1=Peters |first1=K. |last2=Luck |first2=L. |last3=Hutchinson |first3=M. |last4=Wilkes |first4=L. |last5=Andrew |first5=S. |last6=Jackson |first6=D. |year=2011 |title=The emotional sequelae of whistleblowing: Findings from a qualitative study |url=https://epubs.scu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2143&context=hahs_pubs |journal=Journal of Clinical Nursing |volume=20 |issue=19–20 |pages=2907–14 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2702.2011.03718.x |pmid=21627700}}</ref> This fear may indeed be justified because an individual who feels threatened by whistleblowing may plan the career destruction of the "complainant" by reporting fictitious errors or rumors.<ref>{{Cite journal |doi = 10.1002/pnp.344|title = Tackling psychopathy: A necessary competency in leadership development?|journal = Progress in Neurology and Psychiatry|volume = 18|issue = 5|pages = 4–6|year = 2014|last1 = De Silva|first1 = Prasanna|doi-access = free}}</ref> This technique, labelled as "[[gaslighting]]", is a common approach used by organizations to manage employees who cause difficulty by raising concerns.<ref>{{Cite journal | doi=10.1192/bjp.131.5.533 | pmid=588872| title=The Gaslight Phenomenon—An Institutional Variant| journal=British Journal of Psychiatry| volume=131| issue=5| pages=533–534| year=1977| last1=Lund| first1=C. A.| last2=Gardiner| first2=A. Q.| s2cid=33671694}}</ref> In extreme cases, this technique involves the organization or manager proposing that the complainant's mental health is unstable.<ref name="Lennane2">Lennane J (May 2012) [http://www.bmartin.cc/dissent/documents/Lennane_what2.pdf What Happens to Whistleblowers and Why] Classics in Social Medicine Vol6 No4 P249-258</ref> Organizations also often attempt to [[ostracize]] and [[Isolation to facilitate abuse|isolate]] whistleblowers by [[Social undermining|undermining]] their concerns by suggesting that they are groundless, carrying out inadequate investigations, or ignoring them altogether. Whistleblowers may also be disciplined, suspended, and reported to professional bodies upon manufactured pretexts.<ref name="Eye">Bousfield A (9 December 2011) [http://medicalharm.org/uncategorized/the-full-21-ways-to-skin-a-whistleblower/ 21 Ways To Skin An NHS Whistleblower] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322031225/http://medicalharm.org/uncategorized/the-full-21-ways-to-skin-a-whistleblower/ |date=22 March 2017 }} Medical Harm</ref><ref name="first">[[Patients First (advocacy group)|Patients First]] (23 Oct 2013) [http://www.patientsfirst.org.uk/?p=806 The Life Cycle of the Whistleblower])</ref>

Such extreme experiences of threat and loss inevitably cause severe distress and sometimes mental illness, sometimes lasting for years afterwards. This mistreatment also deters others from coming forward with concerns. Thus, poor practices remain hidden behind a wall of silence, and prevent any organization from experiencing the improvements that may be afforded by intelligent failure.<ref name="Peters" /><ref name="Parliament" /> Some whistleblowers who break ranks with their organizations have had their mental stability questioned, such as [[Adrian Schoolcraft]], the [[NYPD]] veteran who alleged falsified crime statistics in his department and was forcibly committed to a mental institution.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/10/cop-nypd-psych-ward-whistleblowing/|title=Cop hauled off to psych ward after alleging fake crime stats|website=www.rawstory.com|date=10 October 2010|access-date=8 December 2014|archive-date=9 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110109172632/http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/10/cop-nypd-psych-ward-whistleblowing/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Conversely, the emotional strain of a whistleblower investigation is devastating to the accused's family.<ref name="tbo.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.tbo.com/list/news-opinion-commentary/william-mcraven-a-warriors-career-sacrificed-for-politics-20160424/|title=William McRaven: A warrior's career sacrificed for politics|date=24 April 2016|access-date=27 April 2016|archive-date=25 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125041944/https://www.tbo.com/list/news-opinion-commentary/william-mcraven-a-warriors-career-sacrificed-for-politics-20160424/|url-status=dead}}</ref>