This document summarizes the results of a survey of over 1,800 respondents about mental health in the creative industries. It finds that rates of depression and anxiety are significantly higher in these industries compared to national averages, with nearly 1 in 5 showing severe depression symptoms and 1 in 4 severe anxiety. The top causes identified are long hours, pressure from self and others, stigma around mental health issues, and lack of workplace programs. Respondents with better mental health were less likely to work while sick and felt their abilities were used well and had good work-life balance. The document suggests addressing these issues through changes to workplace culture, education, standards, and prioritizing job satisfaction over hours worked.

4. –Tank Industry Survey Respondent
“I got into a bad habit of working late and weekends. Sometimes it was
the demands of the job but other times it was the anxiety that what I
was creating wasn’t good enough and that if I just keep working at it
I’ll eventually get to the right solution.”

5. –Never Not Creative Community Member
“I was working two jobs part time – but both ended up requiring closer
to full time hours. I burnt out in a matter of months and put a lot of
stress on a lot of relationships because all I cared about was work,
but hated a lot of it.”

9. SO HOW BIG IS OUR MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM?

10. 1,857 RESPONDENTS
65% FEMALE 60% 35Y
18% HAVE CHILDREN
77% UNI / POST-GRAD

11. 52% CREATIVE
25% MEDIA
23% MARKETING
45% IN CO’S
WITH +50
PEOPLE

12. 56% OF OUR INDUSTRY
DISPLAY MILD TO SEVERE
LEVELS ON THE
DEPRESSION SCALE
COMPARED TO 36% NATIONAL AVERAGE
0%
25%
50%
75%
Creative / Media / Marketing Industry
National data (APS, 2015)
NORMAL
MILD
MODERATE
SEVERE
EXTREMELY
SEVERE

13. NEARLY 1 IN 5 SHOW SEVERE
SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION
COMPARED TO 12% NATIONAL AVERAGE

14. 55% OF OUR INDUSTRY
DISPLAY MILD TO
SEVERE LEVELS ON THE
ANXIETY SCALE
COMPARED TO 26% NATIONAL AVERAGE
0%
25%
50%
75%
Creative / Media / Marketing Industry
National data (APS, 2015)
NORMAL
MILD
MODERATE
SEVERE
EXTREMELY
SEVERE

15. NEARLY 1 IN 4 SHOW SEVERE
SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY
COMPARED TO 11% NATIONAL AVERAGE

16. I OFTEN TAKE MY JOB HOME WITH ME
MY JOB CAN KEEP ME AWAKE AT NIGHT
IF I HAD A DIFFERENT JOB I’D BE HEALTHIER
I HAVE FELT FIDGETY / NERVOUS BECAUSE OF MY JOB
I WORK UNDER A GREAT DEAL OF TENSION
MY JOB TENDS TO DIRECTLY AFFECT MY HEALTH 69%
73%
81%
66%
63%
39%
DISAGREE AGREE

17. WHAT’S CAUSING THIS?
HYPOTHESES

18. HOURS PRESSURE STIGMA WORKPLACE PROGRAMS

19. ALMOST HALF THE
INDUSTRY ARE
WORKING MORE
THAN THE AVERAGE
8HR/DAY CONTRACT
1 IN 3 ARE
WORKING ON A
WEEKEND MORE
THAN ONCE A
MONTH
HOURS ARE SHOWN TO CONTRIBUTE TO STRESS –
BUT WE CAN’T SIMPLY SAY “CUT THE HOURS AND WE
CUT THE PROBLEM”

20. PRESSU
RE
THE PRESSURE THAT WE
PUT ON OURSELVES IS A
LEADING STRESSOR –
ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH
LEVELS OF DEPRESSION
AND ANXIETY
CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY THE PRESSURE
PLACED ON US BY OTHERS

21. STIGMA
ON AVERAGE MORE OF US
AGREE THAN DISAGREE
THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE
TREATED POORLY IF THEY
DISCLOSED A MENTAL
HEALTH PROBLEM
AND THEREFORE THE MAJORITY AGREE
THAT THEY WOULDN’T BE WILLING TO
DISCLOSE THEIR PROBLEM

22. VERY LITTLE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN CLIENT AND
AGENCY SIDE EMPLOYEES
THE INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE IS
SUSCEPTIBLE TO HIGHER THAN NORMAL
DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND STRESS LEVELS

23. WHILE THERE ARE SOME
POLICIES / PROGRAMS IN
WORKPLACES THE LEVELS
OF MENTAL HEALTH SHOWED
LITTLE DIFFERENCE
MAYBE IT’S TOO EARLY TO TELL, OR MAYBE
POLICIES AND PROGRAMS ARE NOT
DESIGNED TO BE PREVENTATIVE

24. RESPONSE
NEARLY HALF THE
PEOPLE SURVEYED
WORKED FOR A
COMPANY WITH A
MENTAL HEALTH POLICY0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
33%
28%
46%
YES
NO
WRITTEN
MENTAL
HEALTH
POLICY
MENTALHEALTH
CHAMPION
MENTALHEALTH
SUPPORT

25. WHAT DID WE FIND THAT
POINTS TO SOLUTIONS?
INSIGHTS

26. 1. LEVEL OF JOB
SATISFACTION IS A
KEY INDICATOR OF
MENTAL HEALTH
SYMPTOMS
WHAT IF WE CHANGED
THE MENTAL HEALTH
CONVERSATION TO A
JOB SATISFACTION
CONVERSATION?

27. JOB SATISFACTION
WHERE WE WORK AND WHO
WE WORK WITH IS KEEPING
US GOING – BUT ONLY
HALF OF US ARE SATISFIED
WITH THE WAY OUR
ABILITIES ARE UTILISED
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Very dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Unsure
Satisfied
Very satisfied
INTEREST AND SKILL
INVOLVED IN JOB
WAY ABILITIES ARE USED
PHYSICAL WORKING
CONDITIONS
PEOPLE YOU
WORK WITH
WORK LIFE
BALANCE
TAKE HOME PAY

28. DEPRESSION @ WORK
IF YOU HAVE YOUR OWN
COMPANY YOU MAY
HAVE IMPROVED THINGS
FOR YOURSELF.
CLIENTSIDE
LARGE
CORPORATE
AGENCY
FREELANCE
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
13.2%12.8%10.5%8.3%7.7%6.7%6.6%
41.3%
48.2%
38.7%
45.1%
42.0%40.1%
50.3%
Normal
Mild
Moderate
Severe
Extremely Severe
CORPORATION
SMALLAGENCY
INDEPENDENT
AGENCY
OWN
COMPANY

29. ANXIETY @ WORK
CLIENTSIDE
LARGE
CORPORATE
AGENCY
FREELANCE
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
10%10%11%11%15%16%20%
40.8%
51.1%
45.3%46.0%
42.0%43.8%
36.7%
Normal
Mild
Moderate
Severe
Extremely Severe
CORPORATION
SMALLAGENCY
INDEPENDENT
AGENCY
OWN
COMPANY
NOT NORMAL
ANXIETY LEVELS IN
SMALL AGENCIES ARE
ESPECIALLY CONCERNING

30. 2. THE STIGMA
REGARDING MENTAL
ILL-HEALTH
GENERALLY INCREASES
IN OLDER MEMBERS OF
THE INDUSTRY
THE YOUNGER
MEMBERS OF OUR
INDUSTRY ARE MORE
SUSCEPTIBLE TO
HIGHER SYMPTOMS OF
POOR MENTAL HEALTH

31. ALMOST TWICE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
AGED 45+ BELIEVE THAT THEY WOULD BE
TREATED POORLY IF THEY DISCLOSED
THEY HAD A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE
(COMPARED TO 17-24 YEAR OLDS).
BUT AS AN INDUSTRY, STILL MORE THAN
HALF OF US WOULDN’T SPEAK UP.

32. STIGMA
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Disagree
Unsure
Agree
PEOPLE IN MY INDUSTRY WOULD
BE TREATED POORLY IF THEY
WERE TO DISCLOSE THEY HAD
BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH A
MENTAL ILLNESS
IN MY INDUSTRY, I WOULD NOT
TELL ANYONE IF I HAD BEEN
DIAGNOSED WITH DEPRESSION
I WOULD NOT WANT TO WORK
WITH SOMEONE IF I KNEW THAT
THEY HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED
WITH MENTAL ILLNESS
33%
54%
3%

33. 3. THE PRESSURE WE
PUT ON OURSELVES
(AND EACH OTHER)
IS A HIGH STRESSOR
IN OUR INDUSTRY
ALL OF THE FOLLOWING
CORRELATE WITH
INCREASED SYMPTOMS
OF POOR MENTAL
HEALTH...

34. STRESSORSPRESSURE OWN EXPECTATION
PRESSURE FROM OTHERS
MULTIPLE RESPONSIBILITIES
WORKING WHEN SICK
EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITY
LONG HOURS
IMPACT ON FAMILY/FRIENDS
FINANCIAL STRESS
ISOLATION
NO STRESS EXTREME STRESS

35. 4. THOSE WITH INCREASED
SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION
AND ANXIETY WERE MORE
LIKELY TO INDICATE THEY
HAD WORKED WHEN UNWELL.
64% PREDICTED THAT
THEIR PRODUCTIVITY
WAS REDUCED BY 40%
OR MORE WHILE SICK
AND TRYING TO WORK.

36. PRESENTEEISM
0 DAYS
1-3 DAYS
4-10 DAYS
21+
DAYS
39% OF THE INDUSTRY
HAVE WORKED MORE THAN
4 DAYS WHILE PHYSICALLY
OR MENTALLY ILL IN THE
LAST 4 WEEKS
11-20
DAYS

37. 5. RESPONDENTS ARE
SEEKING HELP FROM THEIR
WORKPLACE AS MUCH AS
THEY ARE FROM
PROFESSIONALS
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
0.35
0.4
12%
25%26%
37%
NON-PROFESSIONAL
WORKPLACE
PROFESSIONAL
ONLINE
/PHONE

38. WHAT DOES THE DATA TELL
US ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO
REPORT GOOD MENTAL HEALTH?
A WAY FORWARD

39. THEY DON’T COME TO WORK WHEN
SICK THEY’RE CLOSE TO THE
PEOPLE THEY WORK WITH THEY
FEEL THAT THEIR ABILITIES ARE USED
WELL AT WORK THEY HAVE FEWER
RESPONSIBILITIES THEY’VE FOUND
GOOD WORK LIFE BALANCE

40. NEXT STEPS
HYPOTHESES FOR THE FUTURE

41. FIRST. SOME WATCH OUTS.
THE GENERATIONAL DIVIDE
ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL
GO BEYOND POLICY

42. BEHAVIOURALCHANGE
ORGANISATIONALCHANGE
SYSTEMICCHANGE

43. WORKPLACE CONVERSATION
FROM MENTAL HEALTH TO
JOB SATISFACTION
SUPPORT & EDUCATION

44. CHANGE WHAT U BRAG ABOUT
SOCIAL CONTRACTS
REWARDS OVER FROWNS

45. MENTAL HEALTH DESIGN
INDUSTRY STANDARDS
THE CREATIVE’S PLEDGE

46. THANK YOU
CREATED BY:
ENDORSED BY:
SUPPORTED BY: