Discussion on: Will leaving my job for mental health reasons ruin my professional reputation?

I will say this

Take a step back. What I realised is contracts, clients, roles are very interchangeable. Clients and contractors have a point at which they no longer want or need each other. Another thing I always thought, why should a reference or opinion matter? It is just an opinion, it may be the most vital opinion ever, but somebody else may discount it. So please try to calm down. That you care is a great thing but don't allow yourself to get drawn into negative energy.

Should you leave?

Here are my thoughts. You are at the mercy of a future hiring manager/team. I have found they either hate me or like me. It is quite clear. Some will judge you leaving as a bad thing, others won't care. These roles may or may not work out, and so it becomes about trying to find what is best for you.

We have all been in challenging scenarios and will do so henceforth.