'Fame should come with a health warning': Are Oscar winners more likely to suffer from mental health issues?

The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, return to Hollywood on Sunday (March 27) as nominees from top contending films gather in a grand, futuristic, glittering ballroom for the movie industry's biggest night.

The Academy Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit in the film industry and are regarded by many as the most prestigious and significant awards in the entertainment industry worldwide.

The awards are international recognition of excellence in cinematic achievements and it is given annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). The awards are given after being assessed by the Academy's voting membership.

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But are the awards impacting the mental health of celebrities?

A report published by Daily Mail quoting Paracelsus Recovery says that out of the 60 performers who won either the Best Actor or Best Actress since 1992, 41 have suffered from mental health issues.

The analysis by Paracelsus Recovery, a clinic that has treated dozens of celebrities, shows that in the past 30 years, two-thirds of actors who have won Academy Awards, experienced disorders.

Depression, anxiety and substance abuse are apparently some of the common problems celebrities faced.

"Fame should come with a health warning," mentioned an analysis by Paracelsus Recovery as quoted by Daily Mail.

Psychotherapist Dr Paul Hokemeyer said, who is a leading expert on celebrity mental health as quoted by the media outlet said fame was often associated with "fear, pain and loneliness", and major success can lead to impostor syndrome.

Dr Hokemeyer said: "The level of success that Oscar-winning celebrities attain is beyond comprehension for about 99.9 per cent of the population."

"The drive, work and confluence of circumstances that it takes to get there are otherworldly. For this reason, once attained, the success feels empty and fraudulent. It feels undeserved," Dr Hokemeyer added.

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There are several examples for reference, for example, Daniel Day-Lewis, who has won the awards thrice, gave depression as the reason to quit acting in 2017.

Nicolas Cage talked about his alcohol abuse. He won the Best Actor award in 1996 for 'Leaving Las Vegas'.

Emma Stone won the award in 2017 for 'La La Land' and she has also mentioned mental health issues.

According to the research by Swiss and UK-based clinic Paracelsus Recovery, mental health issue rises to 68 per cent among Oscar winners. Meanwhile, data tells that ten per cent of the general population have a mental health problem.