Mental health in the music industry
Mental health in the music industry is a hot topic recently. And unfortunately, mental health in general is still highly stigmatized, but it is even more dramatic within the music industry where different studies have shown alarming results in this regard. Did you know that 25% of the artists and over 50% of roadies tried or considered commiting suicide? The data is chilling, but it only gets worse when we find out that none of the surviving ones sought help. We also know that in general, performing artists live much shorter lives (also receive a lower average income) as compared to the rest of working professionals.
Although we have recently had examples of many notorious deaths (to name a few Avicii, Soundgarden's Chris Cornell, Linkin Park's Chester Bennington or Prodigy's singer Keith Flint), perhaps dazzled by the spotlights and the fame of a few, we are simply not seeing the reality of an industry that we love so much and yet, it is hurting so many people.
Trying to find an explanation of why it is the music industry paying such a high price, there are many reasons that we could mention. First of all, any artist by definition tends to have a higher level of sensibility. Something that science has already confirmed after verifying that musicians have more sensitive brains, as compared to people with no musical experience. And that comes with a price. There is always someone accountable for the music that we lean on when we are bad or when we are good. And digging into your own emotions can often be like peering into an abyss. We could even go further, since there are neurological studies that affirm that right brained people (like artists) tend to have dominance in the side of the brain that creates more negative emotions. Even having a predisposition for that.
That being said, the music industry is in itself a world of uncertainty. As an example, the year 2020 of which simply there are no words to be said and which its consequences are still unclear. On top of all this, we must add high doses of stress, lack of sleep, poor eating habits, financial struggle, loneliness versus states with high doses of adrenaline, lack of opportunities, difficulty in cultivating routines that provide stability, strain relationships and last but not least, large amount of drugs and alcohol always at hand.
To shine a light, fortunately it seems that there are new initiatives popping up connecting musicians (and the industry as a whole) with mental-health resources. But that may not be enough. Promoters, festivals, labels and especially artists must commit themselves and specially speak up to help in the first place to destigmatize mental illness. Cases like the singer Olly Alexander (Years & Years), who has always been open to talk about his own mental-health struggles should be examples to follow so that the industry can take action like never before. Besides and most important, seeking help should not necessarily be something we associate with feeling bad, but rather with wanting to be better. Because at the end of the day, where do we draw the line between good and bad?
Cover photograph by Fiona Garden
