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Post by Admin on Nov 29, 2016 17:38:08 GMT -4
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Post by Chetan Singh on Dec 1, 2016 1:01:29 GMT -4
This opinion piece brought to light a lot of topics I had never thought about, but I felt that it was a bit lacking in substance. The author claims that, "Certainly, some of the industry's top designers have struggled with mental health issues," without providing any specific examples. The author seems to think that those who go into this industry are unaware of the challenges that they may face, but I am not too sure of that. She also says, "What's more, participating in the culture of fashion can often mean a packed social schedule of dinners, parties and other events." If that is a stressful part of an occupation I am not sure why we aren't all signing up. Dr. Carolyn Mair is quoted describing the social aspects of the job like those in the field are professional college seniors, drinking and partying while getting up to do work the next day. I guess I just don't really understand the problem since there is no mention of data of any specific case of mental health problems (other than an anon, whose quotation could be taken from any job). The author tries to legitimize her claims by finding baseless parallels with stressors in the business sector, though none are proven to exist. There are simply more facts given about mental health a a problem with all professions vs specifically in the fashion industry and I think the author simply fails to make a valid argument.
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Post by Ben Greenwood on Dec 1, 2016 19:34:06 GMT -4
I was very surprised to see that this article did not address specific mental health conditions that are commonly associated with models in the fashion industry such as body dysmorphia and bulimia. Although the article is focused on those working behind the scenes, i suspect that these image issues are much more common throughout the fashion industry compared to the others that the author references. This preoccupation with appearances could be considered an additional stressor, especially for those people who do not meet the "requirements" of appearance. In my opinion, an article addressing the deeper psycho-social issues of the industry itself would prove more fruitful in reducing the considerable stress the author describes regarding fashion professionals.
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Post by Varun Kaushal on Dec 1, 2016 22:31:08 GMT -4
Fashion is extremely stressful career to have, especially with the consumer culture moving faster than ever and the demand for more exclusive and original items increasing. Now creative designers are being responsible not just design but also for marketing, store layouts, and digitalization of brand names. This trend has expedited with the recent trend of brands backed up by single designers instead of partners and major establishments. The author states that opening up discussion is the first step in helping those who need coping. I also believe that dropping the stigma and discrimination that comes with mental health issues is another obstacle. In a culture of beauty, creativity, and marketing showing any signs of weakness is negative to your career. Discussion is especially needed where there are blurred lines in both work and personal life. Possibly creating an advocacy or some initiative that target mental wellbeing.
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Post by Tuong Nguyen on Dec 2, 2016 17:33:14 GMT -4
Any career has some mental issues involved in it. But I think that fashion is the worse because it’s a career where you are succeeding or failing and there’s no compromises for it. At its heart, fashion demands perfection and so attracts perfectionists. This of course brings out all the mental health issues involved such as stress, anorexia, binge eating, or bulimia. Fashion is known for working long hours and low pay, drama, skipping meals, no sleep and nasty bosses. This could led to anxiety, depression, nervous breakdown (sound like medical students syndrome). So, I think that this issues should be taken seriously because most of the times they go unnoticeable or underreported. I hope some of these types of articles and research would show that fashion industries need to change their practices and demands.
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Post by Hector Rodriguez on Dec 2, 2016 22:07:47 GMT -4
The fashion industry is a very demanding and challenging industry to be a part of. As a former fashion photographer, reading this article reminded me of those endless hours of work in the studio followed by parties and networking events you have to attend to stay fresh and available for the next job that can come. Its a dog-eat-dog workplace, where your coworkers are also your competitors, where you have to stay up to date on the current trends and ideas and new technology. There is a reason why I am no longer in there, but then again, doesn't this sound just like the medical field? What's so different about the two?
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Post by Daniel Barry on Dec 3, 2016 13:56:35 GMT -4
After reading the article and the comments already written by the other students Id have to say this article was a swing and a miss for me. As Chetan stated earlier the author made a lot of claims without providing any real examples or data to prove their point. Similarly, as Ben pointed out, how do you not touch on the mental health issues the models deal with as well? And lastly as people have pointed out a lot of her examples could be applied to any number of fields including the medical field. That being said I think it is an important topic moving forward. Mental health is something that is present across the board but seems to constantly be the elephant in the room. This article is just shedding light on one field that mental health has been/become a major issue and hopefully moving forward will be taken more seriously. Although in my opinion the article lacks evidence and back up, I do hope it provides a starting point for future research and discussion.
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Post by Roger Elliott on Dec 3, 2016 17:30:12 GMT -4
The arguments made in this article are interesting to say the least. I do believe that some aspects of the fashion industry may be stress provoking, but quoting “You’ve got to be perfect and you’ve got to be on the ball all the time, you’ve got to be networking, you’ve go to be going to these parties, drinking with the other people … and yet, you’ve got to be up the next day,” may not be the best way for the author to get her point across. If anything, this is making me want to pursue a career in fashion. The author goes on to provide other examples of stressful occupations, such as Banking and Law firms, in hopes of demonstrating some comparison to the fashion industry. I completely agree that stressful work environments lead to the development of mental health issues if not properly managed and that these issues can occur in any numerous high stress fields. However, I found the article to be jumbled and out-of-place and instead would have preferred if the author focused more on discussing the title of the article by providing further insight into the fashion industry, siting more specific examples and providing scientific data.
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Post by Ryan Davies on Dec 4, 2016 0:40:38 GMT -4
The madness of creative genius amounts to a lot of grit and sacrifice. I appreciate that the author made mention of stresses in other sectors, such as banking and law, and their attention to the issues of employee mental health. (Perhaps there's a stronger correlation between the bottom line and employee health or maybe it's the emphasis on the bottom line in these areas?) I also tend to worry about medical professionals, especially residents after reading recently about proposed increases to the number of hours a resident may work at a time. Fortunately, I feel that there has been some mention of coping mechanisms during my medical education, and resources have always been readily available to students if needed at the university. Going along with that vein of thought, I wish there had been some mention of unhealthy coping methods that could accompany the mentioned demands on mental health because I believe many people who are not fortunate enough to have education and resources to help them cope with constant stressors, when confronted with increased stress and professional/life demands, will turn to substance abuse or other destructive behaviors. Another point that was briefly mentioned in fashion, that perhaps is not as pronounced in the other professions listed, is the expectation of perfection not only in products or work but also the demand of physical perfection that those working in the industry are surrounded by constantly. I'm sure we could go on and on about the demands of each profession, but the point of the article does remain that mental health is ignored in many sectors and mental illness is viewed as weakness. This attitude needs to change and coping mechanisms for stress can be taught and practiced in early education that, I believe, can make a more productive and happy workforce and society.
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Post by Robert Kim on Dec 4, 2016 0:49:22 GMT -4
The first few paragraphs of this article fail to really present an argument or opinion that caught my attention. In fact, the author admits that this issue of increasing stress "isn't unique to fashion," and that more people are claiming to have experienced mental heath problems at their work. At this point in the article, I felt like I was going in circles. Of course every industry has its fair share of stress! Then the author pulls a quick one and modifies her argument. Indeed, she confirms that fashionistas are not necessarily under more stress than workers of another industry. However, she highlights that the culture of fashion does not provide a supportive atmosphere for their workers; that the fashion industry lacks the understanding about mental health. This is where she may be right. I have no experience or really any idea what it's like to be in the fashion world. Yet even with my limited exposure to the fashion industry I would admit that there is a serious emphasis on re-invention and relentless creativeness. But if it's as bad as this author paints it to be and if there's really a lack of support, I agree that "opening up a discussion about mental health is the first step in helping sufferers find a way to cope with their problems."
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Post by M. Ismail on Dec 4, 2016 10:01:28 GMT -4
I found the title of this article to be a bit misleading. I expected it to delve into the possible root of the problem of mental health issues in the fashion industry. At this juncture, it seems as though we should be asking "why are there?" rather than, "Are there?". The article didn't specifically cite conditions like anorexia and bulimia nervosa that for instance, fashion models suffer from. The tone of the article suggested that employees need to be more resilient to better handle the challenges of the fashion world. I find that argument to be very problematic especially considering the fact that the article did not really comment on why the fashion industry has sometimes unrealistic expectations of its employees.
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Post by Marina Danilchenko on Dec 4, 2016 14:36:45 GMT -4
This week's article is an interesting argument for the promotion of mental health in the fashion industry. While other sectors such as business and technology often have initiates such as naptime during work time and self-development conferences and workshops, this articles details that there is nothing set in place for those working in fashion. Moreover, “the lack of understanding about mental health simply creates a breeding ground for it" where people don't talk openly about and do not come forth with their issues but push through to increase productivity and maintain their status. This is slightly reminiscent of the idea of the "starving artist" who may also be depressed and driven to point of madness whilst creating magnificent pieces of art. However, the fashion industry depends on the contributions of a myriad of people and is in this way different from the singularity of creative genius seen in the art world. It is only practical to enact programs to maintain the wellbeing and happiness of all employees and this article outlines this need. But fashion is one of many fields where the importance of mental health must be brought to the forefront in the years to come. We are arguably in an emotional dark age where emotions are not understood, suppressed, and not dealt with properly and where demanding jobs and excessive consumerism become coping mechanisms. To tackle this issue directly, mental health education and training (such as emotional intelligence, mindfulness, stress reduction techniques, etc) can be implemented early on in schools as well as in the workplace.
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Post by Anisha Patel on Dec 5, 2016 0:23:53 GMT -4
Mental health is a broad category that includes emotional, psychological and social well-being. As the article mentioned, being in the fashion does affect mental health a lot due to the constant heavy stress, constant competition, and being able to keep up with new technologies. However, every profession has some sort of stress and competition involved, whether it is fashion or medicine or business. Being able to know how much of you is required and how much of you can you give in is very important in each profession. But our society fails to mention any of the negative aspects of any professions upfront until the person is already in the profession. Therefore, knowing one's capability to cope with stress and competition is highly important in maintaining mental health. Moreover, I like the idea of having exercise time at the workplace, as the author mentioned, that could help with maintaining stress levels and improving work environment.
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Post by Ifunanya Akusoba on Dec 6, 2016 2:15:23 GMT -4
I happen to agree with this article. A discussion on mental health is long overdue and the stigma attached to mental illness is what is holding us back. There is no other way to move forward than to set in place initiatives to address this problem. While I do agree that the fashion industry is one of the most high stress industries we cannot ignore the fact that there are many other professions that are just as stressful (if not more stressful) as the fashion industry. Mental illness does not need to be seen as a weakness or something to be ashamed about. If someone needs help they should feel comfortable asking for it without worrying about how it will negatively affect the way they are seen. In short, mental health as a whole in this country obviously needs improvement. There needs to be more dialogue in order to eliminate the stigma. It is up to us as future healthcare providers to set the path for open discussions on how to take better control of our mental health.
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Post by Pujyitha Mandiga on Dec 6, 2016 21:19:03 GMT -4
For many years I have always wondered about the people in the fashion industry, especially the models and their physical health. But lately, there has been many articles regarding mental health issues such as eating disorders, depression, anxiety due to the constant pressures that they face everyday regarding their physical appearance. We have all had an idea that models go through tremondous stress to remain a certain weight and undergo rigourous physical training. But, this article raises questions about mental health in all the fashion industry. It discusses about how exhausting it is to work in a creative field such as fashion where their minds do not rest. Mental health impacts everyone whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. We often tell people that do not be afraid to seek for help but, fashion industry does not provide them the time to think for themselves. When they do seek help, it is usually too late because they are overworked, burned out trying to meet increased demands to makeup for the lack of resources. I truly believe that the fashion industry should have limitations to the number of hours the employees can work and use their creative minds while the rest of the time should be allocated for their personal growth and mental peace. Additionally, they should encourage the people in this field to look for signs of depression, anxiety early, so they can seek professional help before they hit the rockbottom.
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