What Are The Mental Health Effects Of Fame And How Can Fans Cope With The Loss Of Celebrities We Admire?
The deaths of many celebrities have sparked a conversation about mental health. Here’s what you need to know.
This post is a collaboration between @bitsofpsychology and @almost.co.
On July 3, the world was shocked to learn Coco Lee, the Hong Kong-American singer who voiced the Taiwanese version of Mulan, had died at age 48.
Her sisters said Lee was taken to the hospital in a coma on July 2 after attempting suicide.
She died on July 5.
The singer-songwriter has struggled with depression for years, with her condition deteriorating drastically in recent months.
Lee’s death reignited conversations around celebrities and mental health.
In 2017, Kim Jong-hyun, a key member of one of South Korea’s biggest boy bands, SHINee, died after he was found unconscious in a rented apartment. He was 27. Investigators believe he died from inhaling toxic fumes. Earlier, Kim had sent text messages to his sister saying “Please let me go. Tell me I did well” and “final farewell.”
His death sparked a massive outpouring of tributes on social media – and a larger conversation about the importance of mental health.
Here are some of the mental health risk of fame.
- increase in mental health issues, pressure and anxiety
- invasion of privacy
- loss of personal space
- constantly under excessive focus and criticism
- may have conflicting self-image
- under pressure to sustain ideal image
- may feel lonely and difficulty in trusting others
- fame may negatively affect friends and family
- unstable interpersonal relationships
Fame can also negatively impact the people who are close to the celebrity, like their family members, friends and significant other.
Celebrities may also face unique stressors from fame and may lose their privacy.
They may be under excessive scrutiny and higher criticism, and it may be difficult to maintain healthy and stable relationships.
As fans, it’s normal to feel a sense of loss and grief when learn about the death of someone we admire.
Here’s how you can cope with the loss of a celebrity as a fan.
- validate your emotions, allow yourself to feel, and tend to your needs
- seek support from friends, online communities, and consider professional support
- share memories and allow yourself to grieve
Everyone grieves and copes differently!
Fame is a double-edged sword.
Behind all the glitz and glamor, celebrities are also people like us. They also need a healthy support system, boundaries that must be respected and the time and space to look after themselves.
Loss of mental health, loss of privacy, changes to all kinds of relationships and the inability to be one’s true self are all issues that shouldn’t be ignored.
If you need to talk to someone, international suicide helplines can be found at Befrienders Worldwide (befrienders.org).
