Reality-show contestants need 'proper care' - psychiatrist

Sudden fame such as that experienced by Susan Boyle can destroy a new star’s self-esteem if they are not given the right support, a leading psychiatrist said today.

Professor Chris Thompson, chief medical officer at the Priory where Boyle is reportedly being treated, said exposing yourself to such public attention can be “terribly risky”.

“It seems to me a bit like walking out on to a branch and then sawing it off behind you,” he said.

He said the production companies has a responsibility to take care of reality-show contestants.

“The fact that Susan Boyle appears to have broken down in some way so close to the end of the series certainly suggests that there is a link.

“I would want to know that people being exposed to such pressures are given proper care.”

Boyle is “emotionally drained and exhausted” following the final of 'Britain’s Got Talent' on Saturday in which she came second, the show judge Piers Morgan said today.

The Priory group has refused to confirm reports that Boyle was rushed to one of their hospitals after her strange behaviour raised concerns.

Professor Thompson said: “In my experience people are shocked to the core by the level of public scrutiny of them. Most of us go through life with very little feedback. When you start reading things about yourself in the press you can start to think, ’is that who I really am?’.

“If your self esteem is very strong it can get completely washed away. Some people find it so intrusive it changes their opinion of who they are.”

He said if an exhausted person continued without treatment they are at risk of developing anxiety or depression.

“If people are getting into that state of exhaustion they need to stop.”

Once a patient has sought treatment they will be diagnosed and then treated with a combination of medication and psychotherapy, he said. In-patient treatment can last anything from three days to weeks or even months.