Trigger warning: suicide
Each year, concerns are raised over the mental wellbeing of Love Island contestants, who are frequently subjected to trolling and criticism during (and after) their stint on the ITV dating show.
And since former Love Island and Celebs Go Dating contestant, Mike Thalassitis, took his own life in 2019, many people have been pondering ‘just how dangerous is reality TV fame?’. How powerfully can that experience affect our mental health? And are TV producers doing enough to protect their stars from deteriorating mental health?
Thalassitis is the second former Love Island contestant to die by suicide after appearing on the show. Sophie Gradon died in June 2918 – and Caroline Flack, who presented the show, tragically took her own life last year. The causes of suicide are always desperately complex and it is impossible to pinpoint one single cause. It is relevant, now, though, to ask how vulnerable these young people felt after appearing on television – and how responsibly they were cared for before, during and after that experience.
And now, ahead of the series launch this month, ITV has today published details on the show’s duty of care processes with detailed welfare plans in place to support participants before, during and after filming. The production team say they have continued to evolve their processes with each series, as the show’s popularity has risen and the social and media attention on Islanders has increased, so what are this year’s duty of care protocols and do they go far enough? From psychological support to financial management training, here is a brief overview of this year’s duty of care protocol…
- Comprehensive psychological support
- Training for all Islanders on the impacts of social media and handling potential negativity
- Training for all Islanders on financial management
- Detailed conversations with Islanders regarding the impact of participation on the show
- A proactive aftercare package which extends support to all islanders following their participation on the show
- Guidance and advice on taking on management after the show
- These measures are regularly reviewed and evolve in line with the increasing popularity of the show and the level of social media and media attention around the islanders.
So what exactly will the islanders be subject to ahead of the show to ensure their mental health is in check before their overnight fame? Here’s what ITV’s protocol states:
Pre Filming and Filming
- Registered mental health professional engaged throughout the whole series – from pre-filming to aftercare.
- Thorough pre-filming psychological and medical assessments including assessments by an independent doctor, psychological consultant and reports from each Islander’s own GP to check medical history.
- Potential Islanders are required to fully disclose any medical history that would be relevant to their inclusion in the villa and the production’s ability to provide a suitable environment for them.
- Managing cast expectations: detailed explanations both verbally and in writing of the implications, both positive and negative, of taking part in the series are given to potential cast members throughout the casting process and reinforced within the contract so it is clear.
- Cast are told they should consider all the potential implications of taking part in the show and work through this decision-making process in consultation with their family and those closest to them, to ensure they feel it is right for them.
- Senior Team on the ground have received training in Mental Health First Aid.
- A welfare team solely dedicated to the Islanders both during the show and after.
And what about they get home and life is completely different to when they entered the villa? It’s tough going for the islanders. One minute they’re flown to a beautiful house in the sunshine for a few months, hidden away, under constant surveillance, without any contact to the outside world. No news, no social media, no phone call to your mum. A nation watches as you try to fall in love with a bronzed stranger.
Then all of a sudden, you’re ejected from the house. You’re sat down and read every nasty thing the tabloids and social media users have written about you. You walk out a changed person: extremely famous and not at all prepared to deal with it. You try to return to real life, but what does that even look like, now that your every move is monitored, in case you do something worthy of a gossip story? Everyone’s watching, but no one truly sees you. Here you are, in a life you don’t recognise, wondering who you have become. You feel lost, but you have to maintain the illusion of glossy perfection on social media because this is your job and this is your identity now.
Here’s how ITV’s duty of care protocols aim to help…
- Bespoke training on dealing with social media and advice on finance and adjusting to life back home.
- A minimum of eight therapy sessions will be offered to each Islander when they return home.
- Proactive contact with Islanders for a period of 14 months after the series in which they have appeared has ended, with additional help provided where applicable.
- We encourage Islanders to secure management to represent them after the show and manage them should they choose to take part in other TV shows, advertising campaigns or other public appearance opportunities.
In 2018, after a lot of criticism from the public, ITV launched a review of Love Island’s participant welfare processes, appointing eminent physician and a former Chief Medical Officer, Dr Paul Litchfield, to independently review and work with the team to evolve and enhance their processes.
Speaking about duty of care for islanders, Dr Paul Litchfield said: “Society’s appreciation of the importance of mental health and wellbeing has grown enormously in recent years and the pandemic has brought that into even sharper focus. Reducing the risk of harm, where possible, is an imperative but promoting good mental health is also necessary.”
NHS IMPROVING ACCESS TO PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPIES: Find your local IAPT practice at nhs.uk, under ‘services near you’.
CBT: Speak to your GP to set up free sessions (most GP surgeries employ their own CBT therapists on site), head to mind.org.uk for practitioner links (both private and NHS), or call them on 0845 766 0163 for immediate advice.
OCD ACTION: Offers a range of support options, from instant conversations (0845 390 6232) to local groups, a chat forum and charity initiatives. ocdaction.org.uk
PRIVATE THERAPY: Dr Sarah Davies offers therapy to adults suffering from stress, anxiety and depression in London’s Harley Street, as well as on Skype. drsarahdavies.com