Cognitive strain in Parliament

Being an MP does not come with a formal job description, and the working realities of our elected politicians are complex. We know from current psychological evidence that work plays a central role in our identity and meaningful activity in life is key to wellbeing. This applies as much to politicians as it does to any other job. While other high-stress professions have been studied from an occupational psychology perspective, this has not occurred to a large extent within parliamentarians. This briefing asks, from a psychological perspective, what the role of an MP actually looks like in practice, and what are the psychological ramifications faced by our elected representatives once they enter parliament?