A Psychologist and a Meteorologist Walk into a Bar: A Candid Discussion of Mental Health in Personal and Meteorological Contexts

Meteorologists across the weather enterprise are faced with the daunting task of predicting future states of the atmosphere and communicating vital information to the public, sometimes within the context of life-or-death scenarios. This is emotionally draining and puts wear and tear on many. Forecasters often face such negative health outcomes as fatigue, burnout, depression, and anxiety. The goal of this talk is not to lecture on the topic, but rather to foster discussion around these sensitive issues in a meteorological context. We, a graduate psychology student involved with professional meteorology for a decade, and a degreed meteorologist working in the field for almost a decade, aim to share our personal stories and battles with depression, anxiety, and impostor syndrome, of which involves feelings of self-doubt and failure, and the perception that one is being negatively evaluated and judged. It has been our observation that the expectations, demands, and competitiveness of the meteorological field contribute to and exacerbate these feelings, and we hope that in discussing them candidly, personally and in a broader meteorological context, we may spark positive dialogue and discussion around them within the weather enterprise. In closing, we will discuss empirically-driven methods by which meteorologists may better cope with and counteract these and other negative mental health outcomes.