The Film and TV Charity has published a new report highlighting the impact of loneliness on the UK’s screen industries.
It reveals that high levels of loneliness experienced by people working behind the scenes in film and TV is a key driver of poor mental health, potentially costing the industry up to £400 million a year.
According to the research, conducted in partnership with The Centre for Loneliness Studies at Sheffield Hallam University, 20 per cent of those working in post production say loneliness impacts their mental health, compared to 14 per cent working in TV and visual effects.
The research finds that experiences of loneliness in the industry are strongly influenced by work-related factors, including but not limited to:
- A culture of long and irregular working hours
- The transient nature of project-based employment
- Industry issues of bullying, harassment, and discrimination
- Persistent stigma around loneliness and mental health at work which prevents people from speaking up and seeking support
- Workers from underrepresented and disempowered backgrounds feeling invisible (especially freelancers, those with disabilities or long-term health conditions, and those who are workless, neurodivergent, from the Black and Global Majority, Muslim, carers, LGBTQ, or from working class backgrounds)
Speaking about the report, Marcus Ryder, CEO at the Film and TV Charity, said: “Today’s findings, which build on research first presented in our 2022 Mind-Craft report, have significant implications not just for the screen sector but for the wider workforce, especially with freelancing becoming increasingly common. With the creative industries often described as both the original gig economy and the ‘canary in the coalmine’ for workforce issues affecting freelancers, this research should be of critical significance for policymakers across multiple sectors.
“It should also act as a catalyst for important work to eradicate stigma around these kinds of conversations to ensure that there’s an industry-wide focus on changing things for the better rather than simply expecting individuals to ‘be more resilient’.”
The full report is available to read here.
