The charity Help Musicians has expanded its mental health support with a new website Music Minds Matter Explore, following increasing demand for mental health support in the music industry.

Music Minds Matter Explore offers users information on mental health as well as signposting to local and national support. The website also provides video content from mental health experts and others in the industry who may have faced similar challenges who offer understanding and connection on issues and feelings that can often feel isolating.Despite the resurgence of live music in 2022, musicians continue to face many career challenges post-Covid. Returning to the stage after a two-year hiatus can cause performance anxiety, touring creates many pressures from stress to feelings of loneliness (not just for musicians but also their managers and crew), and for those who are trying to begin their career, competition for performance slots is high. As a result of these growing pressures:

– Help Musicians’ Music Minds Matter phone service has seen a 34% increase in calls so far in 2022

– Referrals for therapeutic support to the charity’s clinical partner BAPAM, have more than doubled.

– Help Musicians online ‘self-care sessions’, which provide coping mechanisms for issues such as stress, anxiety and negative emotions, have grown increasingly popular as musicians and those in the industry seek ways to cope with how they’re feeling.

This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week centres around the theme of loneliness, an emotion we can all recognise following the events of the past two years. However, particularly for those who spend months on the road and operate in a competitive environment, loneliness can be an ever-present career challenge. Through the newly-launched Music Minds Matter Explore and the wider Music Minds Matter services, Help Musicians is working to put a growing range of support services in place.

Joe Hastings, Head of Music Minds Matter at Help Musicians, said: “Music and musicians bring us all enormous joy but as these numbers show, mental health needs within the music industry are continuing to rise. Music Minds Matter Explore has been launched to provide all those working in the sector with a new and additional form of help – adding to the range of services Help Musicians offers in this area. We hope that those using the site will find information to understand their needs better, signposting to support available locally and nationally, plus knowledgeable and supportive voices. The music landscape is ever-changing and we will continue to develop our mental health support for all those who work in music. Sadly, two years of Covid have seriously disrupted careers and we would encourage anyone struggling to get in touch and find the support they need.”

Music Minds Matter Explore was developed with the help of mental health and wellbeing platform provider Frog Systems.

Claire Cordeaux, CEO of British Association Performing Arts Medicine, said: “As the clinical partner of Help Musicians, BAPAM has been very proud to provide therapeutic support as part of Music Minds Matter to support the increasing demand for mental health support. Rates of poor mental health have always been high in the musician population and COVID has had a significant impact. With increased financial pressures, lack of work opportunities and uncertainty about the future, many more musicians have been seeking help. Help Musicians have provided amazing support through the helpline and by supporting therapy, and this new website provides access to further resources and information which can support all musicians to find out more about services available both general and music industry-specific, selfcare techniques and hear from experts about their specialist areas of mental health knowledge. Sadly, we expect the need for services to continue for some time and Help Musicians are really rising to this challenge.”