Mentally Healthy Productions

Healthy productions don't happen by accident.

They are intentionally built through communication, leadership, psychological safety, and sustainable production practices.

What are the Principles for Mentally Healthy Productions?

The Principles for Mentally Healthy Productions were developed by the UK’s The Film and TV Charity as part of a broader industry effort to improve mental health, emotional well-being, and working conditions within film and television production environments.

Created in collaboration with industry professionals, production leaders, and mental health experts, the principles provide practical guidance for building psychologically safer and more sustainable production cultures across all stages of production.

The framework was informed by ongoing research into mental health within entertainment industries and recognizes emotional well-being as directly connected to communication, leadership, safety, sustainability, and overall production functioning.

As conversations around emotional safety and sustainable production environments continue to evolve internationally, organizations across the industry have increasingly begun exploring psychologically informed approaches to production culture and crew well-being.

Steady Hands aligns with and draws inspiration from these growing global conversations surrounding emotionally sustainable and psychologically informed production environments.

Explore the Principles

✓ Sustainability

✓ Performance

✓ Healthy Production Culture

Organizations & Initiatives

Steady Hands aligns with broader global conversations surrounding emotionally sustainable production environments.

Explore organizations, research initiatives, and industry conversations surrounding psychological safety, sustainability, and emotionally informed production practices.

✓ Safety

✓ Communication

✓ Leadership

  • Steady Hands references conversations and resources developed by organizations such as Screen Well Australia, which focuses on:

    • psychological safety

    • burnout prevention

    • psychosocial risk awareness

    • sustainable screen industry practices

    • emotionally informed production environments

    Their work reflects broader international conversations surrounding mental health and well-being within creative industries.

  • The Film and TV Charity UK developed the Principles for Mentally Healthy Productions as part of a broader industry initiative focused on mental health, working conditions, and emotionally sustainable production culture.

    • emotional risk factors on set

    • leadership responsibility

    • mental health education

    • psychologically informed practices

  • Conversations surrounding emotional safety, burnout, and production wellness continue to grow across entertainment industries.

    Discussions increasingly include:

    • sustainable production culture

    • emotional safety on set

    • wellness support for cast and crew

    • high-pressure working environments

    • performer well-being

    • normalization of intimacy coordination and mental health conversations within production spaces

The Film and TV Charity

Leading research into mental health across the UK screen industries.

6ft from the Spotlight

Advancing production wellbeing through training, consultancy, on-set welfare, and psychologically informed production practices.

Association of Mental Health Coordinators

Advancing standards and professional practice for on-set mental health coordination.

Punk Rock Saves Lives

Connecting music communities with mental health resources, crisis support, and lifesaving health initiatives through live events and outreach.

Creative Wellbeing Support

Providing wellbeing consultation, training, and practical resources that help creative professionals build healthier and more sustainable careers.

What Mentally Healthy Productions Often Have In Common

Psychological Safety

People can ask questions, raise concerns, and communicate without fear.

Clear Communication

Consistent expectations and respectful feedback.

Proactive Planning

Planning for wellbeing before problems arise.

Sustainable Workflows

Reasonable pacing, breaks, recovery, and realistic expectations.

Leadership

Leaders model healthy production culture.

Collaborative Support

Wellbeing is shared across departments rather than belonging to one individual.

Why These Principles Matter

Healthy productions aren't just better for people.

Research increasingly suggests they also contribute to

✓ healthier leadership

✓ more sustainable careers

✓ more resilient productions

✓ better communication

✓ stronger teamwork

✓ improved psychological safety

Planning

↓

Leadership

↓

Communication

↓

Support

↓

Psychological Safety

↓

Healthier Teams

↓

Better Productions