Principles for Mentally Healthy Productions in film and TV
What are the Principles for Mentally Healthy Productions?
The Principles for Mentally Healthy Productions are a landmark framework, designed to transform how film and TV productions approach mental health and wellbeing. Developed in partnership with more than 45 organisations, they provide clear, practical guidance to help productions create psychologically safe environments and meet their legal responsibilities.
The Principles are grounded in the Charity’s Looking Glass research, which since 2019 has shown consistently higher levels of poor mental health across the sector compared to the general population. They translate this evidence into actionable steps tailored to the realities of production.
Who are the Principles for?
The Principles are designed for everyone involved in production, including:
- Producers and Executive Producers
- Heads of Department
- Production Managers
- Freelancers
- Commissioners and financiers
- Production companies and studios
They encourage shared responsibility and collaboration from development to delivery.
Risks to mental health in film and TV production
Poor mental health and wellbeing doesn’t just affect individuals, it can also impact productions through:
- Increased crew turnover
- Delays and disruption
- Lost productivity
- Millions in avoidable costs every year
By embedding simple, proactive measures into the way productions are planned and run, people in leadership positions and teams can build a culture that protects mental health, reduces risk, and helps everyone do their best work. They are practical, adaptable and relevant across all genres, budgets, and in every stage of production.
Coming soon: digital products and services
Later this year we will be launching digital products and services to support implementing the Principles.
Join our early access list and be among the first organisations to input into the testing of our new products and services
A practical framework for every production
The Principles for Mentally Healthy Productions are built around three core pillars that apply across all genres, budgets, and stages of production:
How the Principles support legal compliance and wellbeing
All productions in the UK have a legal duty to protect workers from risks to both physical and mental health. The Principles for Mentally Healthy Productions help productions meet that duty by:
- Identifying potential stressors early
- Embedding processes to reduce or control those risks
- Encouraging open conversation between producers, teams, commissioners, studios, and financiers
The Principles are not mandatory, prescriptive rules and productions don’t need specialist expertise to use them. They are supported by simple, evidence-based actions that any production – regardless of genre, budget or stage of production – can implement to help create mentally healthy workplaces and to meet their legal obligations.
Principles for Mentally Healthy Productions
The full brochure PDF includes:
- The complete nine principles
- Clear, actionable steps for each
- Recommended templates, tools, and resources
- Guidance for risk assessment and wellbeing planning
Download the full framework and begin building a mentally healthy production today.
Join early access list
Later this year we will be launching digital products and services to support implementing the Principles.
Join our early access list and be among the first organisations to input into the testing of our new products and services
Summary
The Principles for Mentally Healthy Productions are an industry-backed framework developed by the Film and TV Charity. It’s purpose is to help UK film and television productions reduce mental health risks, strengthen leadership, protect cast and crew, and meet legal duties.
Built on sector research, they provide practical, evidence-based actions across people support, content impact, and work planning.