Loneliness costing UK film and TV industry £400m a year in poor mental health

Loneliness is a key factor contributing to poor mental health among behind-the-scenes workers in the UK’s film and television industry, new research shows.

The study links this to several job-related pressures – including long and irregular hours, the transient nature of project-based employment, workplace bullying, harassment and discrimination, and persistent stigma around mental health that prevents many from seeking support.

The research was conducted by the Film and TV Charity in partnership with the Centre for Loneliness Studies at Sheffield Hallam University.

It found that people from underrepresented or marginalised backgrounds – including freelancers, those with disabilities or long-term health conditions, neurodivergent individuals, those who are workless, carers, LGBTQ people, Muslim workers, and people from the Black and Global Majority or working class backgrounds – were more likely to feel “invisible”.

Marcus Ryder, chief executive of the Film and TV Charity, said: “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’.”

To estimate the economic impact, the charity drew on Deloitte’s 2024 report on the cost of poor mental health to UK employers, which put the figure at £51bn.

Based on film and TV contributing around 0.8 per cent of national gross value added, poor mental health could be costing the industry approximately £400m annually.

The report, Loneliness in the Film and TV Industry, builds on the charity’s annual Looking Glass survey.

In 2024, 35 per cent of respondents said their mental health was poor or very poor, compared to a national average of 18 per cent.

Thirty per cent reported often feeling lonely, against a national figure of just 8 per cent.

Recommendations from the report include staying in touch with freelancers between projects, using wellbeing surveys to monitor loneliness, creating inclusive opportunities for meaningful workplace connections, and setting up formal peer and buddy systems.

The report was based on statistical analysis of the 2024 Looking Glass survey, interviews with members of the film and TV industry, and a focus group involving workers and employers.