Bringing mental health out from the shadows

Image: pixabay.com

A performer’s job is to create a façade and play a part, but a world first study has uncovered that people working in the entertainment industry are hiding more.

ArtsHub previously reported that the initial phase of a national study into the Australian entertainment industry conducted by the charity Entertainment Assist identified extensive mental health risks.

After surveying 2,904 entertainment workers, from musicians, actors, and comedians, through to magicians, producers, and roadies, the second phase of the study revealed alarming findings on suicide and depression.

Entertainment workers were found to attempt suicide at more than double the rate of the average Australian. The study also found levels of moderate to severe anxiety to be 10 times higher, and depression five times higher than the general population.

‘There are many wonderful things about the industry – the joy of going out and performing, the sense of achievement in creating something – and to think it is outweighed by these negative factors is devastating,’ said psychologist and former ballet dancer Lucinda Sharp, health and welfare director at The Australian Ballet.

While the research is alarming, a common complaint is that often nothing is done with findings, Sharp noted at the recent charity event Out From Under.  

​Created as a tangible response to the issue of mental health in the industry, Out From Under aimed to remove the stigma surrounding the issue and bring it ‘out of the shadows’.

Through entertainment, education and awareness, the evening at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne brought together some of Australia’s best performers, including a special performance by The Australian Ballet.

‘It’s about starting a conversation,’ said Out From Under host Julia Zemiro. What shocked the beloved Australian personality most about the findings was how they reflect a deficiency of communication in the industry.

‘I thought we were in the communication industry,’ said Zemiro. ‘I thought we were one group that you would join if you are an outsider, because a drama group or a theatre group will take you in and you can be different. But it seems we are not really communicating as well as we thought.’