Stage Directions: Behind the Scenes announces that its recent Survey to Assist in the Development of a Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Initiative in the Entertainment Industry received an incredible response from the industry with over 3,300 people completing the survey. We are humbled by the amazing number of people who shared their stories with us about personal challenges and struggles or those of friends and family.
5 comments:
I am eager to see the published results of this study, because I feel like it has a direct impact on what the rest of my career in theater will look like. It is shocking that 80% of people in theater experience anxiety and depression. That number is way too high. Is this whole industry so focused on the work we do and producing art that we have totally neglected our mental and physical well being? I mean sure people talk about it all the time, and maybe it is starting to change now, but it really seems like it is still a huge problem across the board. There has to be a way to produce theater without giving everyone involved anxiety right? I mean maybe we just have not figured it out yet, but somewhere there has to be a balance to strike between getting the show done and gauging the toll it is taking on the people involved. Maybe if we can not figure it out we should start to ask ourselves if it is even worth it.
That is a lot of responses! At first, I read 3000 and I was like they that's a pretty big number, but then I thought about how many stories and details of data that 3000 survey gives the researchers. Like Cooper, I would love to see what comes out of this survey and how they use the information and data collected to help mental health and suicide prevention. This article is also a very nice way to thank those that took the survey. They talked about the tolls of the industry and I would really like to see more statistics on the number of hours and the hardship that people experience in the industry. It says that 90% experience anxiety and 80% experience depression but I would like to know if there is a response bias since this was a voluntary survey (would those who haven’t felt like much of negative mental impact be less likely to respond to this survey). When looking at the first findings of this survey I would really like to take a look at what was asked on the survey and how the data might be skewed a little or not. I love to see organizations taking action on important topics like this and really looking into data to see the social climate of the entertainment industry.
The fact that people in the entertainment industry have taken initiative on gathering quantifiable proof on mental health. The fact that that many people responded to the survey is insane, and makes the results significantly more credible. I actually really appreciate that this article admitted (perhaps that’s the wrong word) that they were aware of some of the results they got (a confirmation), because I feel like in regards to mental health, people often repeat the same information over and over again. It’s been a long time knowing that the demands of a job in the entertainment industry can take a toll on mental health, but it’s so great that they’re taking that and actually informing us that they’re going to take action on this. The new information from this survey, that people want to help their colleagues when they are struggling but don’t know how, provides a front for change to happen. And I would assume that these changes wouldn’t be too hard to implement, because it’s putting more information and resources out there. Like the others, I'd really be curious to see the results of this study posted somewhere that I could access it.
Wow, over three thousand responses? That is amazing. That large amount of responses is so crucial in making sure a lot of different stories are heard. Yes, we all know that our job is hard. I appreciate that the article in questions calls that out specifically as well. We seem to expect with any job we take in the theatre it is going to require long hours and a lot of personal commitment to get the job done. However, surveys like this are so important. Having hard data and facts to back up our claims is one of the best ways to initiate change in an industry. I am eager to see how this data will be used to better this industry. How does something like this institute change? I can only imagine that those who are leaders in the field reading the data would take the leap into making changes in their organizations.
While concise, this article was a really beautiful reminder that there are so many people in the industry who want to help each other, and that none of us, however it may sometimes feel, is ever alone. Although I did not take or see the survey, I am glad that it indicates questions regarding why people may not have sought out help or taken advantage of the resources already provided at some companies, as I feel like that might be the case that a lot of us find ourselves in. It's a vicious cycle, in that way: you are tired because you are overworked, and you're overworked because you're worried about job security or when the next opportunity will be, which makes you stressed and/or depressed, and wanting to seek aid, but unable to because you are working so much and even when you're not you're tired. I think that this is a mighty issue to tackle, but am very glad that they are committed to going about it the right way. Most importantly: "What is also apparent from the responses, and very encouraging, is that many individuals want to step up and help colleagues they feel are struggling but simply don’t know how and are very concerned about making things worse. Our goal is to provide information and resources that will give industry members the confidence to act." That is a beautiful thing.
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