UK Execs Fighting To Improve Mental Health In Film Talk Changes Since Covid: “People Have Been Given The Bravery To Express How They’re Feeling”

deadline.com:

Two key players fighting to improve mental health in the UK film industry have spotlighted the improvements that have taken place since the pandemic started.Rebecca Day, a Psychologist and Producer of 2018 feature Becoming Animal, said she contributed to more panels within one month of the first lockdown than in the previous two years and is now having to hire additional therapists to take on an influx of clients.“There was a real sense when the pandemic started of people saying ‘I can now take a pause and think about what I need, how I might want to work in the future and how we can make that happen’,” said Day, who was speaking during a Deadline-hosted European Film Market session entitled Time To Change.“People have been given the bravery to express how they’re feeling.

When I did panels on this in 2018 I was terrified that people would be insulted by the suggestion we were struggling in the workplace and while the response gave me a palpable sense of relief, that response has launched forward and sped up since the pandemic.”In conversation with Deadline International Features Editor Diana Lodderhose, Day also said mental health is “being handled much more sensitively and sophisticatedly on TV than it was two years ago.”The pandemic has made employers realize that looking after employee mental health is a long-term money saver, added Day, leading to greater productivity and better staff retention.Backed by broadcasting and production heavyweights, the UK’s Film and TV Charity is in the midst of a 12-month long campaign aimed at tackling mental health challenges following shock statistics that found almost nine-in-10 behind-the-camera workers had experienced mental health problems and more than 50% had considered