Celebrities pushed into drugs due to pressures in the industry - Psychologist

Clinical psychologist and Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Psychological Association, Dr. Isaac Newman Arthur has urged entertainers to prioritize their mental health and seek professional care rather than turning to drugs to cope with the pressures of their work.

He noted that many creatives resort to drug abuse due to a lack of understanding of the importance of good mental health for overall well-being and creative performance.

Speaking in an interview with Graphic Showbiz, Dr. Newman Arthur emphasized that entertainers, including celebrities, often face high demands and expectations that can lead to mental health challenges. They may turn to "dysfunctional coping strategies" such as drugs, alcohol abuse, and illicit sex to deal with stress and pressure.

He explained, "Our celebrities are in the public domain, and the stress, anxieties, pressure on them, and expectations to maintain a certain performance are greater than that of an 'ordinary' person who is not under that pressure."

Dr. Newman Arthur encouraged celebrities to include mental health screenings as part of their routine health checkups and emphasized that mental health is an essential aspect of overall well-being.

“Mental health is part of a person’s health so if we recommend that every year, people should do health screening, it should be included. Mental health is not about someone lying naked on the streets. Unfortunately, the moment you mention mental care, that is how people see it.

He also highlighted the psychological impact of social media trolling on celebrities and stressed the importance of paying attention to their mental health.

“In this era of social media and its attendant trolling, the mental health of celebrities is threatened, particularly with insults among others rained on them online—all these have a psychological impact on them. So I expect them to even pay more attention to their mental health than the ordinary person,” he added.

His call comes in light of the recent discussions about the pressure artistes face in the Ghana music industry. This coupled with the rampant comparisons and the trolling many artistes face on social media especially as their colleagues in the Nigerian space keep achieving milestones.

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