Following a six-month hiatus as it shifted gears to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and throw its weight behind supporting the U.K.'s crisis-hit TV, film and cinema workforce, the Film and TV Charity has launched a program aimed at improving mental health in the industry.
, revealed that nearly 90 percent of people working in the U.K.'s film, TV and cinema industries have experienced a mental health problem. Among the findings were that workers were twice as likely to experience anxiety compared with the national average, that workers were three times as likely to have harmed themselves compared with the national average, and that over half of workers have considered taking their own life , and one in 10 have attempted to do so.
"It has been a devastating year for many people in our industry, and it’s clear we cannot afford to return to 'business as usual'," said Film and TV Charity CEO Alex Pumfrey."Our 2019 research showed a mental health crisis in the industry, which has only been exacerbated by the terrible effects of the pandemic. The case for improving the mental health of the industry has never been stronger or more urgent.