Group Urges Mental Health Care For Entertainers
A Japanese organization for protecting the rights of entertainers has asked the government to institute a mental health care system for people in the entertainment industry.
The Entertainers' Rights Association made the plea in a statement entitled "Suicides by Entertainers." It was posted on the group's website on Sunday.
The move follows a succession of apparent suicides by actors and other entertainers over recent months.
The statement says that exposure to the highly stressful environment of the industry is likely one of the many factors behind suicides among entertainers.
It cites that in Japan's current legal system, it's not clear who is accountable for the mental health care and safety of entertainers, and that there has not been sufficient discussion for legislating such a system.
The statement is asking the Japanese government to quickly survey the state of entertainers' mental health to recognize the need for a system to protect their mental well-being.
It also urges news organizations not to unnecessarily dig into stories of celebrities' suicides as that can have a strong impact on children and young people.
