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The media and creative industries thrive on passion, but that passion often comes at a cost. Behind the glamour of journalism, filmmaking, games, music, advertising and online content creation lies a growing crisis – one of burnout, anxiety, substance abuse and exhaustion. Why do so many creative professionals report feeling both deeply fulfilled and profoundly unwell?
Mark Deuze investigates the systemic issues that make creative work both exhilarating and unsustainable. Drawing on extensive research and in-depth interviews with media professionals, he notes the hidden downsides of doing what you love and offers a candid analysis of how workplace structures, high workloads and perceived injustices contribute to mental and physical distress.
But this book is not just about what's broken; it's about what can be done. Deuze provides a roadmap for rethinking the culture of creative industries and offers strategies for balancing passion with sustainability. A practical resource for media scholars and those navigating the highs and lows of a creative career, this work challenges us to imagine a healthier future for our labour of love.
'Mark Deuze reflects on the paradoxical nature of creative work in the field of media. The point argued throughout the book is that the components making creative careers appealing are also the ones that create risks for one’s mental health and well-being at work... I consider this book an essential read for anyone wanting to understand what it feels like to have a creative career in the field of media, but maybe even more so for those who have it, as the idea of suffering for one’s art is strongly internalized and even romanticized within the field. As Deuze points out, people with creative careers have their share in upholding their own exploitation by accepting the reality in the field for what it is.'
— Vilja Hautamaa, International Journal on Media Management
'Deuze’s depth of research and understanding is rich and insightful... The occupational mental health framework discussed in chapter seven is one of the most important conceptual contributions in the work, and offers an important perspective in the conversation around mental health in the creative and media industries... The comparisons across similar industries and countries made in this work, alongside the in-depth discussions of the internal structures that uphold the negative working environments effectively highlights how widespread and pervasive these issues are.
Deuze’s book is an important, timely, richly researched and sophisticated contribution to this field of research... the book is instructive in offering a new perspective on how to understand the potential causes of poor occupational mental health, and highlights how widespread these issues are.'
— Sally Robinson, Cultural Trends
'Deuze provides a thoughtful and passionate perspective on mental health in creative work, warning us of the challenges of an industry that can rely on the creatively and goodwill of its workers.'
— Valérie Bélair-Gagnon, associate professor, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
'There is no doubt that Professor Mark Deuze's new book is a thoughtful, well-researched and timely contribution to media and communication studies. But it is so much more than that. Well-Being and Creative Careers is also an urgent reminder of the human cost of our newfound ability to access news, information and entertainment whenever and however we like.'
— Diana Bossio, associate professor, RMIT
'In this important book, Deuze draws on new research supported by a wide range of empirical evidence, creative industries, and media professionals’ voices. In doing so, he creates compelling evidence as to why we should all
take the problems these passionate workers face seriously. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding media work and the creative industries.'
— Dr Sally Anne Gross, reader in music business, University of Westminster
'Capturing both the damaging pressures and passionate commitments driving the mental life of creative careers, Deuze precisely analyses the emotional dichotomy at the core of media work.'
— Paul McDonald, professor of media industries, King’s College London
Mark Deuze is a professor of media studies at the University of Amsterdam's Faculty of Humanities. Publications of his work include over 150 academic articles and 14 books, including Well-Being and Creative Careers (Intellect, 2025), Happiness in Journalism (Routledge, 2024) and Life in Media (The MIT Press, 2023). Professor Deuze has held honorary appointments at the Faculty of Journalism at Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia, the School of Arts and Humanities at Edith Cowan University in Perth, the School of Communication of the University of Technology Sydney, Australia and the Department of Communication and Media Studies of Northumbria University, United Kingdom. He is also band member of Skinflower, latest album 'Kaduc'
(Record Union, 2024).
Preface: Outline, Positionality, and Gratitude
Chapter 1: Crisis? What Crisis?
Chapter 2: So What and Why Now?
Chapter 3: Defining Health and Well-Being in Creative Careers
Chapter 4: Mapping the Crisis
Chapter 5: The Pleasures and Paradoxes of Media Work
Chapter 6: Doing What You Love as a Blessing and a Curse
Chapter 7: What Makes You Happy Can Also Make You Sick
Chapter 8: Finding Joy at Work
Bibliography
Index