The entertainment industry is one of the highest-pressure industries. Long hours and uncompromising demands of the entertainment indust...
The entertainment industry is one of the highest-pressure industries. Long hours and uncompromising demands of the entertainment industry are sighted as the main causes of depression and anxiety in showbiz.
As a result of pressure, the industry has seen a spike in celebrity mental health issues, substance abuse and a high rise of deaths associated with depression recently.
It is against this backdrop that Dr. Cino Shearer, founder of Cino Shearer Foundation, has decided to offer free psychological services to help celebrities dealing with mental issues.
Dr Cino has developed a mobile assist that will travel around South Africa and some parts of Southern African regions offering free counselling to celebrities big and small.
The mobile assist, which is the first of its kind, will kick off during this festive season in Gauteng. It will then travel across the country before visiting Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe. The project will end in April 2020. The initiative is in partnership with different entertainment stakeholders across Africa. The mobile assist boasts private first-class facilities and highly skilled professionals.
The Cino Shearer Foundation believes that the mobile assist will also help raise awareness about mental health issues, suicide and substance abuse.
"Studies show that entertainers are twice as likely to suffer from depression than the general public. Studies also show that many celebrities have moderate to severe anxiety. The vision came after noticing a rise in depression and anxiety among celebrities. Some have died dealing with mental health issues. This initiative will help celebrities live a better life," says Dr. Cino.
He adds that he hopes the initiative will
help to normalise conversations around mental illness and help eradicate the stigma associated with it.
The foundation was established in 2013 with one of its key focus points being to elevate poverty.
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