Shining a Spotlight on Issues of Mental Health in Musical Theater and Ways Psychologists Can Help: Perspectives of Theater Professionals

Millions of American adults attend musical theater annually, and many productions address psychological themes, such as mental illness, substance use disorder, and suicide. Almost no empirical research hasexamined the potential role of attending and/or participating in professional musical theater as a means ofstimulating discussion and increasing awareness around the topic of mental illness, both for the actors andaudience members. Fifteen professional theater actors and/or directors were recruited via convenience andsnowball sampling. Semistructured interviews explored how musical theater with psychological themes canbe impactful for the production team and audience members, and the potential benefits and roles of aBehavioral Health Consultant (BHC) for the actors and audience. Principles of consensual qualitativeresearch guided the analyses. Five overarching themes emerged in the interviews, including the impacts ofmusical theater on the audience, actors’ experience of doing musical theater with psychological themes,actors’ commitment to an accurate portrayal of mental illness in characters, roles BHCs could play inproductions, and characteristics of effective BHCs. Consistent with recent calls for psychologists to servetheir communities, this study highlights an opportunity wherein psychologists may form relationships withand support local professional and nonprofit theaters. Numerous specific ways in which BHCs could assistboth actors and audience members surrounding shows with psychological themes are described