The study links this to several job-related pressures – including long and irregular hours, the transient nature of project-based employment, workplace
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.
