Your mental wellbeing

Help when you’re not OK

If you’re particularly stressed or just not yourself right now, you’re not alone.

It may not always feel like it, but there is support available for people working in film and TV. It’s important to seek help when you need it and getting help early can make it easier to get on top of things.

How we can help you with your mental wellbeing

One of the easiest ways of doing this is to call our Film and TV Charity Support Line on 0800 054 0000 or by using our Live Chat. The Support Line is open 24/7 and provides in the moment support. All our services are free of charge, confidential and totally independent.

You can ask us for:

    • In the moment support: you’re never alone and can talk to our Support Line day or night, seven says a week. Please note: for Live Chat, you will be presented with an orange webchat icon at the top of the page, as well as a phone number. Please state you are accessing the service via the Film and TV Charity. If no advisors are available (due to high traffic), please wait and try again later.
    • Counselling: Anyone working behind the scenes can request a referral for up to six free counselling sessions via the Support Line. Sessions can take place in person or remotely and our counsellors are experienced in working with LGBTQI+ and Black and Global Majority communities. Translators can be arranged for a range of languages, and you can talk to a counsellor who uses British Sign Language.
    • Legal and Financial Advice: available via the Support Line. Further information about our financial support can be found here and legal advice here.

Get in touch free, at any time of the day or night for a wide range of support. Everything is confidential and totally independent.

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The British Sign Language team are available 09:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday.
Click here to book an appointment.

Welcome to the Film and Television Charity. Calls are recorded for the purposes of quality and staff training. This is a confidential service, however, there are some exceptions to this and these are where there may be a risk to your own health and safety, that of others or if you have been involved in a crime. An advisor will be with you shortly, Thank You.

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If you are at risk or experiencing a mental health emergency, you need urgent medical help. Please:

  • Call 999 for an ambulance.
  • Go straight to A&E, if you can
  • Call your local crisis team – if you don’t already have their number, you can find an urgent mental health helplineon the NHS website.
  • Mindhave provided this guide outlining the mental health crisis services that are available, how they can help and when to access them.
  • Samaritans offer a confidential listening service, where they won’t judge or advise, but just listen. You can call anytime on 116 123. Other ways of contacting them are on their website.

Your GP is also there to help you with your mental health as well as your physical health. They will assess your circumstances and offer appropriate advice or treatment or recommend local support options.

You can work closely with our Work and Wellbeing Service advisors over a three-month period to address barriers that are stopping you moving ahead with your career. You could be returning to work after a break due to illness, raising a family, or caring for loved ones. There’s support and guidance with anything from debt and housing to health worries. They can help identify what’s holding you back, to think through the options and get back on track.

Register your interest

You can speak to your Bullying Advice Service for expert confidential advice on bullying, harassment or discrimination. Whether you want to report the incident or not, we can help you to process what’s happened and navigate your next steps.

Book an appointment

Freelancers face their own unique set of challenges. That’s why we’ve created the Freelancer Wellbeing Hub, for anyone working in film and TV— so you should feel right at home.

Here, you can complete your Wellbeing Check-In quiz, to get tailored tips and advice for managing common industry stressors, plus you’ll find plenty of information to support your wellbeing at work.

We’ve also curated a list of mental health and wellbeing resources in our Wellbeing Directory that we think you’ll find useful. Whether it’s for you, a colleague or your production team, you’ll find videos, tips, ideas and guides.

Check out the Wellbeing Resources