The UK film and television industry is facing an intensifying mental health crisis, as revealed by the Film and TV Charity’s latest Looking Glass Survey. Conducted in 2024, the survey reported that 35% of 4,300 respondents described their mental health as “poor” or “very poor,” marking a significant rise from 24% in the previous survey in 2022. Most alarmingly, 30% of those surveyed, or nearly 1,300 workers, disclosed that they had experienced suicidal thoughts—a slight increase from 29% two years prior.
This year’s survey sample doubled compared to 2022, making the findings even more troubling. The results reflect growing concerns that have been voiced by leaders in the freelance community, who have long warned about the detrimental mental health conditions within the industry. The slowdown in production has only worsened matters, contributing to a widespread sense of job insecurity and poor working conditions.
One of the tragic consequences of these issues came earlier this year when John Balson, a TV producer who had worked on Channel 4’s In the Footsteps of Killers, took his own life. His death highlighted the urgency of addressing mental health within the industry, particularly for freelancers who often work in precarious conditions without adequate support.
Despite the rise in awareness, only 12% of respondents believe that the industry is a mentally healthy place to work, while 63% say their jobs have negatively affected their mental health. Additionally, 64% have considered leaving the industry altogether, up from 60% in 2022, reflecting a growing dissatisfaction among workers.
Marcus Ryder, CEO of the Film and TV Charity, expressed concern that while awareness has increased, conditions are not improving quickly enough. The charity is working on developing pan-industry mental health standards and has engaged major industry players like Apple TV+, the BBC, and Disney in the initiative. More than 100 companies and 200 individual productions have adopted the charity’s Whole Picture Toolkit, which offers guidelines for creating mentally healthy work environments on set.
The full findings of the Looking Glass Survey are expected to be released next year, with the hope that more comprehensive data will drive meaningful changes in the industry’s approach to mental health.
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