Many people who work in the film and tv industry experience mental health problems. In fact, depression and anxiety are disproportionately high amongst workers in the creative sector, compared to those in other industries.
Long hours, tight deadlines and work places rife with bullying and harassment can have a significant impact on our mental wellbeing.
The lack of a support structure, such as HR, whilst we are both in work and out of work can also make the life of a freelancer a lonely one and we quite often have to be our own HR department.
On this page we have put together some resources about mental health and where to get support.
if you need support now….
Here are some organisations that you can get in touch with:
Film & TV Charity 0800 054 000 or click here to use their live chat function or e-mail
Theatre Helpline 0800 915 4617
Samaritans 116 123 or e-mail: jo@samaritans.org for a reply within 24 hours
Text SHOUT to 85258 to contact the Shout Crisis Text Line, or text YM if you’re under 19
No Panic is a registered charity that helps and supports those living with Panic Attacks, Phobias, Obsessive Compulsive Disorders and other related anxiety disorders.
To download a copy of their Wellness Toolkit please click HERE.
If you need help with a panic attack
The film & TV charity
Bectu is affiliated with The Film & TV Charity. The Film and TV Charity provides 24/7 help to people in all corners of the industry. This happens through a range of support services and talent development programmes. They give people a lift when they’re facing personal and career challenges, from illness and injury to unemployment, relationship breakdown and bereavement.
You’re not alone. We are here to support you in the good times and the bad. Whether you’re trying to get a production project off the ground, being harassed on set or struck down by illness, we can help.
Our team are friendly and down to earth. We have tremendous experience with all kinds of personal and professional issues. Whatever’s happening right now, get in touch. We’ll try our best to get you moving in the right direction.
You can join the Film & TV Charity mental health community which provides peer-to-peer support, free online courses and resources for promoting good mental health. Details here
Take a look at their Whole Picture Programme, the pioneering strategy for better mental health in UK film and TV based on the findings of The LG report published in 2022.
One key statistic coming out of Looking Glass ’22 is that 80% of respondents sensed a positive change in the industry’s capability to support. That’s not the same as saying the problems have been solved, and with only 11% describing the industry as a mentally healthy place to work, we cannot afford to get complacent about the amount of work there is still to be done.
mental health resources
Bectu Members Guide to Sexual Harassment
6ft From the Spotlight is a non profit Community Interest Company (6ft From CIC) set up with the sole aim of improving the mental wellbeing of music and film crew in the UK.
Leo Anna Thomas is a Standby Art Director with the #mentalhealthinfilm and Matt Longley set up 6ft From The Spotlight to help the mental health of freelance crew in the entertainment sector. Listen to their podcast.
Follow Leo Anna Thomas on Twitter and Instagram and donate to their crowdfunding campaign: ‘Mental Health in Film & the Wellbeing Facilitator’
The Hub of Hope is the UK’s leading mental health support database. It is provided by national mental health charity, Chasing the Stigma, and brings local, national, peer, community, charity, private and NHS mental health support and services together in one place for the first time.
The idea for Kindness in Film emerged from Premila’s collective experiences of working as a film producer, a creative educator, and the founder of KindInvest™ that takes a kind and emotionally intelligent evidence based approach towards creating a more harmonious and productive work culture.
For people who experience a mental health problem, the shame and silence can be as bad as the symptoms themselves. Your attitude to mental health could change someone’s life. MIND provides lots of resources to get us all talking more about mental health, including easy tips you can use to open up conversations and support others.
Online courses and training
Become a Mental Health First Aider. Courses are available throughout the year, click here to find out more.
This free ScreenSkills eLearning module is designed for anyone working in the screen industries (film, TV, animation, visual effects (VFX) and games) who wants to develop their awareness of mental health. It identifies how you can support your own mental wellbeing and to overcome industry-specific challenges that may prevent you caring for yourself and others.
Video: Screenskills Masterclass: Leo Anna Thomas and Matt Longley on freelancers’ mental health in film production (1hr)
‘Managing and Promoting Positive Mental Health in a Film/TV Production’
i-act training for HODs provided by 6ft From The Spotlight
counselling and therapy
Solas Mind Therapy and mental health support specifically for Film, Tv and Theatre
BetterHelp (£35p/w but subsidised rates available for those affected by Covid-19)
Film In Mind bespoke therapeutic services for the filmmaking community
Talkspace (discounts available)
National Counselling Society find a counsellor
Counselling Directory find a counsellor
mindfulness and meditation apps
Free content from Calm (meditation, sleep stories, soundscapes, yoga)
Free content from Headspace for the unemployed
Waking Up meditation (free for a year for anyone unemployed from Covid-19)
Moodpath mood tracking over 2 week periods (free)
ntwrk not strictly a mindfulness app but it will prompt you to contact friends & family at set intervals – useful if you tend to withdraw when your mental health isn’t so good
bectu events
An Introduction To Mindfulness - 12th August 2020
This workshop was a warm welcome to Mindfulness and what it can do for anxiety, stress, depression, pain and mental health. The workshop was taught by Bectu member Stacey Richards-Powell who is currently on the path to becoming a fully qualified Mindfulness MBSR teacher. For anyone who was unable to attend, her workbook for this short course and details can be found HERE.
We hope to be able to host more member workshops and sessions in the future.
If you have any comments or suggestions for this page please email us using the link below