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Do the new care protocols go far enough? (Picture: ITV)There\u2019s just days to go until\u00a0Love Island\u00a0finally returns to our screens after over a year of waiting.
\nThis year\u2019s contestants\u00a0are already reportedly in quarantine in sunny Spain ahead of the launch show.
\nITV recently unveiled a new look for the show \u2013 including a brand spanking new logo, a resigned Majorcan villa, and updated personalised bottles.
\nAhead of the series launch on Monday, ITV has announced new duty of care protocols they\u2019ve put in place to support contestants before, during, and after their time on the hit dating show.
\nSo what are this year\u2019s duty of care protocols, and do they go far enough to protect the Islanders?
\nMetro.co.uk spoke to some mental health experts to find out what they have to say.
\nWhat mental health support is in place for the Love Island 2021 contestants?
\nThe new duty of care protocols have been introduced as part of a collaboration between former Chief Medical Officer Dr Paul Litchfield and Consultant Chartered Clinical Psychologist Dr Matthew Gould.
\nThis year\u2019s Love Island\u00a0contestants will be offered a \u2018minimum of eight therapy sessions\u2019 and get social media training under ITV\u2019s new welfare plans.<\/p>\n
Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis were former Love Island contestants (Picture: ITV\/Love Island)They will also have support in financial matters, dealing with online trolling, as well as comprehensive psychological support before, during, and after the show.
\nThere were calls for increased support for the cast after two former islanders \u2013 Sophie Gradon from series two and\u00a0Mike Thalassitis\u00a0from series three \u2013 took their own lives years after competing on Love Island.
\nThen, in February 2020, former host\u00a0Caroline Flack died by suicide aged 40.
\nThe show was accused of not doing enough to protect the mental health of their contestants, and so the new care protocols are a welcome change.
\nThe full details of the contestant\u2019s care plans are as follows:
\nPre-filming and filming
\nRegistered mental health professional engaged throughout the whole series \u2013 from pre-filming to aftercare
\nThorough pre-filming psychological and medical assessments including assessments by an independent doctor, psychological consultant, and reports from each Islander\u2019s own GP to check medical history
\nPotential Islanders are required to fully disclose any medical history that would be relevant to their inclusion in the villa and the production\u2019s ability to provide a suitable environment for them
\nManaging 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
\nCast 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
\nSenior Team on the ground have received training in Mental Health First Aid
\nA welfare team solely dedicated to the Islanders both during the show and after<\/p>\n
Love Island returns to our screens on June 28 (Picture: ITV\/Love Island)Aftercare
\nTraining on dealing with social media and advice on finance and adjusting to life back home.
\nA minimum of eight therapy sessions will be offered to each Islander when they return home.
\nProactive 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.
\nEncourage 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.
\nDr Paul Litchfield, who was appointed by ITV in 2018 to review Love Island\u2019s participant welfare processes, said: \u2018Society\u2019s 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.\u00a0
\n\u2018Reducing the risk of harm, where possible, is an imperative but promoting good mental health is also necessary.\u00a0ITV\u2019s evolving commitment to these issues, backed up by tangible action,\u00a0 is an example to others in the industry and beyond.\u2019<\/p>\n
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Are the new Love Island care protocols enough?
\nThe updated protocols are certainly extensive and better reflect how big Love Island has become since it launched in 2015.
\nSally Barker, Senior Therapist and Media Commentator from Working for the Body, explained to Metro.co.uk: \u2018ITV does have a heightened awareness of the mental health demands that come from being an Islander.
\n\u2018Redefining their duty of care protocols reflects how the public are also more attuned to the impact distress can have on mental health and wants to see ITV do their best to take care of participants and front of camera that for a short period of time feature large in the lives for many people.\u2019<\/p>\n
The new contestants will get at least eight therapy sessions (Picture: ITV)Actor and Producer Dywayne Thomas also offered praise to the new protocols, telling Metro.co.uk: \u2018I believe that the new duty of care protocols is a great idea and a positive change for the better for the future of Love Island.
\n\u2018I feel it will give all contributors a sense of security, reassurance, trust, and understanding of the whole process of what to expect whilst filming on set, offset, and what the options are available to you should you need support with personal, show-related, or mental health-related matters.\u2019
\nHowever, it is too early to tell whether the protocols go far enough.
\nSally explained the two main challenges Love Island faces with balancing mental health care, and meeting the high demand for unmissible content: \u2018ITV are well aware they are faced with two intractable conundrums. Firstly, there are the economic imperatives of providing compelling content that attracts high levels of ad spend while many key sponsors remain wary of attaching their brand identity to a show that is, however tenuously, linked to three tragic deaths by suicide in little more than two years.
\n\u2018Their second conundrum is how to produce Love Island 2021 so that it generates enough drama between the contestants to drive substantial viewer engagement whilst protecting the mental health of this year\u2019s participants.\u2019
\nOne particular instance that comes to mind is in the 2019 series where Amy Hart abruptly left the show after having her heart broken by fellow Islander Curtis Pritchard.
\nAmy has since revealed that she was struggling with her mental health on the show, but has praised ITV for their aftercare.
\nShe told Huffington Post: \u2018I can\u2019t fault the support. People have had a lot of bad things to say about them and they might have upped the aftercare, but it\u2019s the same team who\u2019ve worked on the show for five years. I don\u2019t agree with the criticism \u2013 they are amazing.\u2019<\/p>\n
Amy left the show after having her heart broken by Curtis (Picture: ITV\/REX)Amy is not the only former contestant to speak well of the show\u2019s post-filming care.
\nLucie Donlan previously told Metro.co.uk: \u2018The aftercare has been really good. They text us most days, they give us a call, and we\u2019ve got a psych in our area so I\u2019ve got one down where I live.\u2019
\nAdditionally, Dr Alex George \u2013 who now has a role on ITV\u2019s mental health advisory board \u2013 told BBC News: \u2018Within 24 hours I had an appointment booked and I continued to be seen, so I\u2019ve had really good aftercare.\u2019
\nSally also commented on the pre-filming analysis, and said that some would-be contestants could hide any mental health problems from producers in order to better their chances of being on the show.
\nShe said: \u2018Previous contestants have claimed in interviews the pre-filming psych evaluation is pretty 101 and would-be contestants would most likely be savvy enough to present themselves as resilient and free of any negative emotional triggers.
\n\u2018There is an unspoken truth that to excel on Love Island and pique the public\u2019s interest requires a sweet-spot mix of sassy attitude mixed with an engaging willingness to be vulnerable and that makes them highly relatable to the audience.\u2019
\nHowever, former contestant Callum Macleod previously told GQ: \u2018The support before going into the villa was great: we had loads of tests to make sure we were stable\u2019.
\nOn the topic of the eight therapy sessions offered to Love Island contestants after their stint in the villa \u2013 which is widely viewed as a massive step in the right direction for the show \u2013 Sally is concerned that the counselling may not be tailored to each Islander.
\nSally explained: \u2018The ITV duty of care protocols does not say what kind of therapy will be offered and whether it is by therapists who understand the unique pressure on participants when they return home as one of the series\u2019 heroes, villains or a mere also-ran.\u2019<\/p>\n
Dramatic storylines can have a detrimental impact on Islander\u2019s mental health (Picture: ITV\/Shutterstock)The dramatic storylines, often manipulated by producers, can have a detrimental impact on Islanders\u2019 mental health \u2013 contestants who are portrayed as villains are often the victims of online trolling.
\nSally recommends that Love Island contestants hire a social media manager to filter out the negativity on their social media platforms.
\nShe said: \u2018If they\u2019re making any money from their time in the sun an ex-Islander\u2019s soundest investment could be engaging an experienced, professional social media manager that can handle any death threats, mute or delete the toxicity and just leave them with the fan-love on their social media feeds.\u2019
\nITV has said that the measures will constantly be reviewed and evolved, and so only time will tell whether the latest protocols are effective at protecting the Islanders.
\nLove Island 2021 begins on Monday, June 28, on ITV2.<\/p>\n
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