IT executives are under ever-increasing levels of strain. Chief information officers, chief information security officers, and chief technology officers are responsible for managing growing threat levels while juggling skill gaps and talent shortages. Even as awareness of the very real threats cyberattacks pose grows, the average C-suite remains indifferent until a crisis occurs.
Studies indicate that people in leadership positions are expected to be more resistant — perhaps even immune — to the stressors that result in mental health problems. But IT execs appear to be particularly vulnerable given the novel and tenuous nature of their roles.
The narrative emerging from both academic research and media reports suggests that they are being crushed by unrealistic job expectations.
According to one report, 78% of CISOs were seeking a new role due to the stresses of their job. Depression, anxiety, substance abuse and even suicidality are rampant at both the executive level and among their subordinates.
Industry leaders and external observers are now looking at how to address these issues — through both systemic change and individual effort. Here, InformationWeek investigates the state of mental health among IT execs and their teams. Andrew Shatté, chief knowledge officer and co-founder of meQuilibrium; and Lincoln Stoller, a software company founder and psychotherapist, offer their insights on the nature of the problem and how to address it.
The State of IT Exec Mental health
IT execs have begun to raise the alarm — they are not OK. A toxic conflagration of factors has resulted in a typical work environment that frequently results in severe mental strain.
An onslaught of cyberattacks, severe staffing, and skills shortages combined with indifferent C-suites have created a set of stressors that are nearly impossible to cope with.
A 2024 report on CISO burnout released by Vendict found that 80% of CISOs were highly stressed and 61% felt overwhelmed by the expectations placed on them. The problem has been brewing for some time — even a 2020 report by Nominet found that 91% of CISOs were suffering from moderate to severe job stress.
These problems run downhill — 50% of respondents in the Vendict report said that team members had left due to stress. A 2024 Hack the Box report found that 90% of CISOs were concerned about stress affecting their teams. Per a report by Yerbo, 42% of IT professionals are burning out and considering quitting their jobs.
Causes of Mental Health Decline
An enormous suite of issues have contributed to the mental health crisis among IT execs.
Working conditions are of course a major factor. Their leadership positions are often lonely. They are part of the C-suite but often have little in common with their executive peers — who are more likely than not to dismiss their concerns. And they are responsible for hugely consequential aspects of the business, keeping it secure from threats and managing highly technical projects with little support.
“We may understand that they’re more important than we thought they were,” Shatté says. “But the distance between them and the rest of the organization creates a greater mental health risk.”
Their personalities also play into the equation. CIOs, CISOs, and CTOs are highly independent people — and some lack interpersonal skills. And they may view their ability to meet punishing deadlines and crushing workloads as a badge of honor.
“I see the CIO — and the whole tech department — as needing to become more personally capable in dealing with people, because they’re not really able to be isolated behind a computer anymore,” Stoller says. “Too many people are involved. If you go to school to be a computer engineer, they don’t teach you about mental health, they don’t teach you about management.”
“They’re probably less ‘people’ people than most others in the organization. They’re more perfectionistic. They have to be very precise in what they do,” Shatté adds. “That can put them at greater risk of burnout, because they’re really giving more resources than they have.”
Vendict’s report suggests that funding and staffing difficulties play a huge role in driving mental health decline — both for these execs and their subordinates. The challenges of maintaining functional technological ecosystems are complicated by resource shortages, leading to long hours and an increased likelihood of errors.
Easy solutions are in short supply, but a number of steps can be taken to address this crisis.
Increased Funding and Staffing
While it is likely the most challenging ask for current CIOs, CISOs and CTOs, increasing their funding and staff resources would likely go the furthest in mitigating the factors afflicting their mental health. According to Vendict’s report, 45% of respondents said that increasing their resources would alleviate some of their stress.
Funding for parsimonious solutions, such as AI programs that might be able to automate tasks that must be done manually by analysts, might serve as a compromise. If AI programs are able to eliminate the need to analyze every report manually, cyber teams are then able to turn their attention to the most pressing issues.
Investment in both technological and human resources has a cascading effect. Alleviating strain on staff by improving the tools they have to execute their tasks and compensating them at fair rates reduces turnover rate. Encouraging them to stay through regular training opportunities can further facilitate a cooperative and enthusiastic workforce.
Their bosses can then concentrate on big-picture issues.
Open Discussion
IT execs can start the conversation themselves — encouraging the discussion of mental health issues among their peers and subordinates. By sharing their own struggles, they can create an atmosphere where others can do the same.
A CIO at a Minnesota insurance company shared a video describing his mental health challenges and found that his colleagues began sharing theirs as well.
These discussions need not be limited to mental health — dialogue about working conditions, conflicts and management of projects is also helpful. These conversations are unlikely to be easy and result in immediate solutions, though, Stoller is quick to note.
“We’re in the stage where we’re moving toward manifest failure. In that process, there will be some people who will be raising their hands and saying, ‘We have a better way.’ But most people won’t be listening to them, because they haven’t gotten to the point of giving up their authoritative roles,” he says.
Still, attempting to dissolve top-down methodologies is likely a good starting point for addressing pain points for both execs and their staff.
Encouragement of Healthy Habits
As IT ecosystems adjust to the increasing strain, it is incumbent upon leaders to both adopt mindfulness in their work and encourage it among their subordinates. According to the Splunk report, only 36% of UK businesses provide mental health support to their cyber teams.
In the absence of formal programs, IT leaders can facilitate discussions about proper sleep habits, taking breaks when needed, and awareness of symptoms of stress. Organizing workshops to discuss these approaches — and what additional steps may be needed — can create space for employees at all levels to figure out what works best on both the individual and team level.
This should be approached carefully, though, Shatté cautions. “If anyone is going to get turned off by the concept of self-care, it’s going to be people in an IT role,” he says. He suggests framing advice in terms of lifts and drags: what reduces their working capabilities and what increases them.
“I would encourage people to engage with disorder, because that’s where things are happening that you don’t understand, and that’s where you need to be involved,” Stoller adds.