Look after yourselves out there! x
Theatre workers are facing long-term mental health problems as a result of the pandemic and many are “at their lowest psychologically" following the third lockdown, support organisations have warned.
It comes as mental health company Applause for Thought announces it is piloting a new Return to Work Mental Health and Well-Being Scheme, which is being backed by Cameron Mackintosh.
Almost a year after theatres were first closed, support and well-being organisations have revealed their services are being accessed more than ever, and that the impact of the pandemic on people’s mental health could be felt for years to come.
Mary Burch, counsellor at mental health support platform Industry Minds, said the organisation had delivered 116 sessions to clients in January this year, compared with 75 in January 2020.
She told The Stage that anxiety – stemming from fear around the future of the industry, Covid, finances and employment – was one of the biggest issues facing workers, along with depression, feelings of loss, isolation, low self-esteem and the use of unhealthy coping mechanisms such as alcohol, drugs and disordered eating.
Burch also highlighted the struggles of drama school graduates, who she said felt "forgotten and overlooked".
"I am concerned that the impact of this pandemic on mental health won’t just disappear when we return to a normal way of working," Burch said.
"It is like soldiers in a conflict – they cope at the time and it is only when they return to normality that mental health difficulties can occur."
The Actors’ Children’s Trust, which provides grants for actors who are parents, said it has given out £162,500 in January alone and more than £1 million since the pandemic began.
Its executive director Robert Ashby told The Stage: “Actor-parents were hopeful at the end of 2020 and some had work lined up. But the January lockdown brought renewed desperation and financial crises. Despite the hope offered by vaccines, the families are probably now at their lowest psychologically."
Applause for Thought’s instructor and consultant Kate Baum has been working with producers to trial a new return-to-work initiative on productions that have taken place during the pandemic, with the aim of rolling it out widely as the sector reopens.
The scheme includes creating policy around mental health, facilitating a well-being session for workers prior to rehearsals, providing detailed well-being resources and training mental health first-aiders.
Raffaella Covino, Applause for Thought’s founder and director, said: ”As it has gone on, especially since the January lockdown, we have seen increased volumes and intensity of worry surrounding people’s financial situations, the future of theatre and their livelihood, health concerns, bereavements and loneliness. This is manifesting itself in some cases in anxiety and or depression, among other mental health issues."
Covino said her biggest concern was the "aftermath of the pandemic and its longer-term effect on mental health for those in the sector."
She added: "Even though the concerns we have now may be similar to those at the start of the pandemic, it is the continuous nature of them that may evolve into more deep-rooted worry and/or trauma."
Amanda Parker, creator of Inc Arts Minds, which provides mental health support for those affected by racism, said workers had been drawing on their “very last reserves of mental resilience” and that those “reserves are now empty”.
She added: "The repercussions of sustained isolation, redundancy, job insecurity, health fears, loss and anxiety will have a legacy that endures far beyond lockdown."
Actors Christian Edwards and Harry Long, founders of peer support group Talk, echoed concerns that the third lockdown was "proving the hardest" for many due to a "sense of hopelessness".
"A lot of people are feeling forgotten about, and financially struggling, even more than before. Also, this whole pandemic has made people feel as if the industry is not valued or taken seriously, which brings up big questions about life choices, career prospects and anxiety,” they told The Stage.
What mental health support is available for members of the industry?
The Theatre Helpline Open 24/7 and offers free and confidential support for theatre workers struggling with personal or professional issues. Tel: 0800 915 4617
Applause for Thought Facilitates free and low-cost mental health support, talks, accredited courses and consultancy for the arts and holds free well-being sessions with Laura White Coaching for the black and mixed black heritage arts community. applauseforthought@outlook.com
Industry Minds Offers free and low-cost counselling sessions. industryminds.co.uk/services
Inc Arts Minds Offers free group therapy in partnership with Chanua Health for people affected by racism in the arts. incarts.uk/inc-arts-minds
Talk Runs peer-to-peer group support sessions for workers in the entertainment industry. twitter.com/talkcommunity1
Arts Minds Provides mental health support resources for people in the arts. artsminds.co.uk