preliminary report<\/a> from last May, researchers reveal the “urgent challenges requiring action,\u201d through identifying the key factors leading to mental health issues in the music industry, including financial stress, unrealistic performance expectations and ever-changing industry demands.<\/p>\nThe study is billed as the first comprehensive Canadian study of its kind and outlines data from over 1,250 nationwide music professionals \u2014 collected through bilingual surveys, focus groups and in-depth interviews. Participants include artists, crew members, managers, venue operators, educators, media professionals, festival staff and executives \u2014 affirming that this isn\u2019t just an issue exclusive to musicians, but one that deeply affects the whole music industry. <\/p>\n
\u201cHaving our own Canadian baseline data is critical. We often assume things aren’t as bad here as elsewhere \u2014 this report challenges that assumption directly,\u201d Catherine Harrison, president & founder of Revelios, tells Billboard Canada. \u201cThe findings mirror international data on mental health in the music industry, and that should prompt an honest, open conversation about the state of well-being in our own backyard.\u201d<\/p>\n
An Industry-Wide Issue<\/p>\n
Harrison clarifies that it’s not just a problem for artists, but for the entire industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cPoor mental health is not an artist problem. It cuts across every role, every type of organization \u2014 corporations, nonprofits, freelancers. The entire ecosystem is affected. And until we recognize that, our response will keep falling short.\u201d <\/p>\n
Almost unanimously, participants (94%) confirmed that mental health issues are widespread across the industry, with 86% of respondents personally experiencing mental health challenges, while 95% have witnessed others struggling. .<\/p>\n
The majority of symptoms include anxiety, fatigue, persistent sadness and sleep disturbances. Often, these issues aren\u2019t met with the right resources, the report argues. This results in industry professionals feeling burned out, distressed and in extreme circumstances, leading to suicidal ideation, with between 43%-53% of participants feeling that life isn\u2019t worth living, and have considered suicide.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat’s not a footnote. That’s a crisis,\u201d Harrison says.<\/p>\n
In the study, researchers found that most of the industry\u2019s mental health challenges were linked to the Canadian music industry\u2019s structure and how it currently operates. <\/p>\n
As the industry continues to evolve, financial strain and job security are crucial issues, with 84% of participants being directly impacted by inconsistent income. That\u2019s in contrast to the small percentage (5%) of respondents who feel confident with their position in the industry. <\/p>\n
Substance use also shows to be a glaring issue. One of the most socialized working industries, it\u2019s embedded in company activities and work settings. But the struggle faces a double-edged stigma as participants express that the use of substances is condemned (86%), but there\u2019s lingering shame (58%) reported around sobriety and\/or recovery.<\/p>\n
Sleep is a critical area for improvement, too, as only 10% of respondents are getting enough sleep to perform at their best. <\/p>\n
A Need For Action<\/p>\n
At a rapid rate, it\u2019s clear that music industry professionals are suffering with their mental health \u2014 but it\u2019s the evident absence of industry involvement that deters those respondents from seeking help. While many claim that mental health education is critical (97%), most have never received any formal training (80%) to have an open dialogue on the topic. Only a mere 10% of participants feel their workplace has measures in place to aid with mental health. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat surprised me was how persistent the stigma still is \u2014 around mental health, around substance use, around simply asking for help,\u201d says Harrison. \u201cAnd paired with that, a very low confidence in industry leadership. Those two things together tell you a lot about why people suffer in silence.\u201d <\/p>\n
To move forward, it\u2019s important to implement strong systems that can keep up with the ever-changing industry. While this report brings awareness to the major industry challenges being faced, it\u2019s only the first step. <\/p>\n
\u201cAwareness without action is just information,\u201d says Harrison. She notes that systemic action, building community comprehension and improving existing structures are key elements to ensuring Canadian music industry professionals feel supported. <\/p>\n
\u201cLasting change can’t rely solely on formal leadership. We need sector-wide mental health literacy, communication skills, and peer networks so people across all roles can recognize risk early, reduce stigma, and intervene before harm escalates,\u201d she says. \u201cWell-being has to be structural, not individual \u2014 built into how the industry operates, not left to people to manage solely on their own.\u201d<\/p>\n
Find the full report here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Researchers are raising a red flag for mental health in the music industry. A new Revelios [Mental Health…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":506409,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[49,48,84,393,394,201800],"class_list":["post-506408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mental-health","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-health","tag-mental-health","tag-mentalhealth","tag-revelios"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/506408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=506408"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/506408\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/506409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=506408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=506408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=506408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}