These Presidents And World Leaders Hid Their Health Problems

Warren Harding Suffered From Mental Illness

Photo Credit: Chicago History Museum/Getty Images

Warren Harding, the 24th President of the United States, promised that the United States would “return to normalcy” under his term. But few knew that Harding lived with various mental disorders, which would gravely impact his presidential term and ultimately lead to his death less than two years after his inauguration.

Harding spent a significant amount of time in a sanitarium between 1921 and 1923 to recover from fatigue and nervousness, but this did little to help him. His mental health struggles led to excessive weight gain, insomnia, and exhaustion. He died suddenly and unexpectedly from heart failure after playing golf in 1923.

Warren Harding isn’t the only politician who suffered from mental illness, as you’ll soon see.