Enhance creativity, protect participant wellbeing, and help comply with Ofcom regulations.
Sponsored by The British Psychological Society
The rise in demand for authentic, high-stakes entertainment, including reality TV and productions which include members of the public, has led to increased attention on the mental well-being of participants who may not be mentally prepared for the experience or its aftermath. And for those working on productions, ensuring that they plan and maintain the ethical standards is no small task.
That’s where psychologists come in—outside professionals whose expertise keeps productions and participants safe, creative, and ethically sound.
From supporting mental health to helping shape authentic narratives, psychologists are becoming indispensable in the world of UK productions.
But What Do Psychologists Do in Productions?
Psychologists don’t just sit in the background with a clipboard—they can be actively involved in shaping the way productions run. Here’s how they help:
- Protect participant welfare:Especially crucial in reality TV, psychologists ensure that people entering the limelight are mentally prepared and supported throughout.
- Support mental health on set:Productions can be intense, with long hours, high stakes, and creative pressures. Psychologists provide support to cast and crew to keep everyone’s mental health in check.
- Help tell better stories:In dramas or documentaries, psychologists work with writers and directors to make characters and storylines more authentic and relatable.
- Ensuring ethical considerations are covered:Productions must balance entertainment with ethics, and psychologists are there to make sure that no one is exploited or harmed during the process.
Why Your Production Can’t Do Without A Psychologist
Recent personal tragedies have highlighted the need for psychologists to be present on productions and, when necessary, after filming has ended. In recent years, Ofcom updated their broadcast code to reference the need for psychologists to assist productions, and to ensure that participants are:
“…informed about potential risks arising from their participation in the programme which may affect their welfare (where these can be reasonably anticipated at the time) and any steps the broadcaster and/or programme maker intends to take to mitigate these.”
But having a psychologist involved in your production isn’t just a box ticking exercise. They can do more than bolster your duty of care responsibilities. They can help mediate conflicts between team members, create strategies to reduce burnout, and help bolster authenticity by providing deep insights into human behaviour. Think of shows like After Life, which handled depression with heart and sensitivity, or Bodyguard, with its portrayal of PTSD. These productions hit the mark because they got it right.
But How Do You Find The Right Psychologist For Your Production?
Identifying and screening potential psychologists to work on your production can be time-consuming affair. To help productions meet the standards laid out by Ofcom, the British Psychological Society has established a Directory of Media Production Psychologists, which aims to streamline identifying and contacting qualified psychologists.
This directory provides quick access to a range of chartered psychologists offering services such as:
- assessment and screening
- risk analysis and safeguarding planning
- support for contributors and crew during and after production
- advising on the handling of complex psychological topics within narratives
While a psychologist does not have to be chartered to work as part of a production team, and several experience industry professionals may not hold this grade, the benefit of using the BPS Directory of Media Production Psychologists is that you can ensure that as a Chartered member of the BPS, they have evidenced their expertise and knowledge in their field, saving time verifying the competence of the psychologist. The Directory will also allow you to identify those who are also registered with HCPC (the UK regulator of health and care professions) as a practitioner psychologist. This ensures that you are working with a regulated psychologist with oversight of their fitness to offer the psychological services to potentially vulnerable people.
Who Are The British Psychological Society?
Founded back in 1901, The British Psychological Society is the professional body for psychology, so you can be confident those on the directory have the necessary skills, expertise and registrations to support the industry. The BPS also offers guidance to commissioners and producers in its publication, ‘Psychology in Media Productions’.
Minimise The Harm And Maximise The Benefits
From reality TV to documentaries and dramas, by using the skills and knowledge of a psychologist not only will you be ensuring that you are following Ofcom regulatory advice, but you will also be supporting your cast and crew, gaining valuable input into the design and creation of shows (where required) and making sure to minimise the harm and maximise the benefits to all involved.
In short, psychologists aren’t just a nice-to-have—they’re an absolute must for any production that wants to succeed in today’s fast-changing media world.
Whether you are looking for advice on programme design or safeguarding, consent and support of participants, the Directory of Media Production Psychologists allows you to match your requirements to suitable candidates at the click of a button, saving your production time and resource in identifying suitable candidates.
Search the directory on the BPS website.
Jon Creamer
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