The Looking Glass: Mental health in the UK film, TV and cinema industry
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This ground-breaking research commissioned by The Film and TV Charity explores the experiences of people who have had a mental health problem while working in Film and TV. It found that prevalence of mental health problems is higher within the industry, and workers aren’t getting the support they need to manage their mental wellbeing.
The success of film, TV and cinema is driven by the creativity and talent of its workforce. But our ground-breaking research commissioned by The Film and TV Charity has found that two thirds of people working in the industry have considered leaving due to concerns about their mental wellbeing.
Through a mixed-methods research project involving a workforce survey, qualitative interviews and engagement with an industry forum, we have developed a new evidence base regarding mental health in TV and film. Our survey results make for sombre reading:
- 87% had experienced a mental health problem compared with 65% of us nationally.
- 64% have experienced depression, compared with 42% nationally
- 28% have experienced anxiety compared with 12% nationally
This research has uncovered a series of underlying factors which may be contributing to this:
- Conditions, including long working hours and many struggling with work-life balance.
- Culture, including high incidence of workplace bullying
- Capability, with limited mental health literacy and line management skills making it difficult for people experiencing mental health problems to get the support they need
Please select the links below to download the full report or the survey data tables.
In response to these findings, the Film and TV Charity has developed the Whole Picture Programme.
Download the full report here. Download data tables here.
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