Real time change needed

In what should be a given —a mentally healthy workplace — this isn’t always the case as chaos can reign supreme, with many people struggling in silence. As we take a look at where we are as an industry, we question what can be done to improve the status quo.

In December last year, press releases were blasted out across trade press about a new Mentally Healthy study conducted by industry charity, UnLtd; national suicide prevention and mental health institute, Everymind; and creative agency, Never Not Creative.

While reports on the media, marketing and creative sector are nothing new, one that marked the first major study into the mental health in our industry was a standout.

The report, with research carried out by Dr Ross Tynan and Dr Renate Thienel, surveyed more than 1,800 people, with the majority of respondents being women, nearly half were aged between 25 and 34 and worked in an organisation with 50 employees or more.

Concerning stats revealed that people within the media, marketing and creative industry showed greater signs of mental illness compared to the national average — a total of 56% of respondents showed mild to severe symptoms of depression compared to the national average of 36%.

The report also found within