The UK sector takes another small but positive step in the right direction of safeguarding its growing number of workers.
Here’s some good news for the first half of the week: according to Screen Daily, `the recent UK’s Film and TV Charity’s 2022 mental health survey has found that 80% of those working in the industry have seen positive change in culture and behaviours in the UK screen sector. 2000 members of the British screen industry took part in the survey, which found small but noticeable positive impacts on people’s mental health and well-being.’
According to the survey, ‘those reporting their mental health as “poor” was at 24%, down from 29% in 2021.’ Also, ‘respondents who had considered leaving the industry due their mental health also decreased to 60% having been at 65% in 2019.’ Reports of bullying and harassment have also also dropped around ten percent but remain high at 46%.
It represents a step in the right direction for the industry but more positive steps will need to follow to make the British screen sector a sustainable career choice for young people, especially given the significant amount that are expected to join over the next few years to fill the looming skills shortage. Still, it represents a positive step, especially considering the first annual survey in 2019 found a troubling ‘87% of workers were experiencing a mental health problem’, a figure that would be amplified by the ongoing pandemic, we’d imagine.
Hopefully, the industry can continue to effect positive changes and safeguard the talented, hard-working folk who do so much to bring brilliant things into our lives. This represents another small step in that direction.
