Are musicians getting enough mental health support?
When a musician shows signs of mental health struggle, where does the responsibility lie? When the pressures of fame and the scrutiny built-in to parasocial relationships and the media become too much, who can be held accountable when things take a turn for the worse? Chappell Roan might be one of the most recent figures to detail her battles with mental health at the hands of the public eye’s insidiousness, but she is far from the first—which begs the question: are musicians getting enough mental health support?
With parasocial relationships, early exposure to pressures, the constant battle with instability, media scrutiny, lack of privacy, overworked hours, industry exploitation, discrimination, drug and alcohol culture, online bullying, internet misinterpretation, unaddressed deep-rooted trauma, identity crises, and a lack of mental health support—how do teams, groups, bodies, and organisations even begin to improve the mental wellbeing of musicians?
The music industry has changed a lot in the past ten years in some ways while remaining stagnant in others. And then, in other respects, it has changed for the worse. Take social media, for instance—these days, it’s almost impossible to distinguish the haters and trolls from the rage baiters, but that’s almost beside the point when the basic principle remains the same. Negative and hateful comments are everywhere, and they always will be.
This is one of the more demeaning and frustrating aspects of fame, as people can say whatever they want, whenever they want, with little or no consequences. Comments can be turned off, but when someone suffers from the influx of online criticism, the damage caused by online bullying is done. However, how deeply does the onus fall on those who post the comments when nothing will change? It’s a disgusting aspect of online culture, and it always will be. Still, there’s no way it can ever be quashed or controlled, so the responsibility unfortunately falls elsewhere and into the hands of the musicians themselves and their teams.
That’s where ‘Safeguarding’ comes into play—who needs to be protected? And how? Musicians, of course, to a degree, but record labels also need to intensify their education and support, alongside enhancing the distance from online communities and discourse where needed to protect mental well-being. However, when such deplorable behaviours cross over into real life or are impossible to ignore, as with Roan’s stalkers and that of countless other musicians, the issue becomes more extensive than a simple shrug and a laugh about codependent celebrity worship. And what about the age of entry? Should musicians be forced to wait until they are 18 to access certain opportunities?
“No silver bullet”
“We hear from a broad range of people facing lots of different challenges,” says Laurie Oliva, Director of Services and Research at Music Minds Matter. “However, there are themes to these issues. Working in music is a hugely rewarding job, and whether you’re performing on stage, in the studio, in a venue or in the office, it’s a career that’s driven by passion. While this can drive high levels of work motivation, it also contributes to a high performing environment which at times can feel pressured and competitive.”
Noting the challenges, Oliva continues: “In this environment, it’s not only creators who have performance anxiety. Many people in music feel they need to keep up the pace, sometimes beyond what they can easily manage. It’s also a world where relationships matter. On top of this, while an exciting world to work in, it can require long hours and a continual need to focus on the next thing, all while juggling many commitments, which can lead to burnout.”
As an individual, regardless of job title or industry, one of the clearer paths to gaining mental health support is services like the NHS, but with long wait times and no guarantee that you’ll receive the proper support, being a musician in need of help or safeguarding becomes immensely difficult. According to Oliva, however, becoming accustomed to “spotting the signs of when things are beginning to get difficult is one of the best support mechanisms.”
This can be difficult for younger artists or those without a sufficient support network who can help them realise the “signs”, but that points to another reality that makes the entire issue considerably complicated to navigate. As Oliva explains, “There is no silver bullet to overcome the challenges to mental health in music.” However, “collaboration and education” provides the gateway to a better, more open-minded industry where support is readily available to all.
“All sectors and corners of the musical ecosystem need to work together to understand where we can make adjustments to the way we work to support better mental wellbeing,” Oliva says, noting the importance of “helping to build greater awareness of the challenges in different sectors and creating resources to support them.”
She continues, “The education element is vital too; the more we individually understand about the signs of ill mental health and how to support one another, the greater the difference we can make.”
Music Minds Matter is an organisation born out of research, and over the years, more musicians have contacted it regarding mental health struggles. Back in May, Grace Meadows told Far Out that intersectionality is an important concept when approaching mental health in music and a necessary step to make mental health a broader industry movement. “It’s really important that we are reaching into all the different spaces and segments and streams of the industry to make sure that the conversation is happening industry-wide because this is a whole industry issue,” she said.
“Exploitation of young stars”
“The entertainment industry needs to be held accountable and be responsible [for] the welfare of their artists,” reads one of the lines in the recent Change petition to instate greater legislation to safeguard musicians’ mental health following the death of former One Direction member Liam Payne. Speaking to Far Out, the Change petition starter, Day, explained that the current need for people to pull together for change stems from anger.
They claim it has also been compounded by “a support system” Payne advocated for in 2021 “to be put in place for young artists’ going through the industry”, adding that the musician “spoke about his own struggles and the need for there to be care in place to safeguard artists’ mental health”. Discussing the current discourse, Day adds they are “angry and saddened that the industry has let [Payne] down”.
In response to the petition, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Secretary of State told The Sun that they are “very open to discussions, if and when raised, on how artists’ mental health can be better safeguarded in future.”
They added: “The government is committed to giving mental health the attention and focus it needs by recruiting an additional 8,500 mental health workers to reduce delays and provide faster treatment.”
However, on the broader subject of welfare, other avenues and their connections to mental health need to be evaluated. If musicians aren’t privy to the services available to better their well-being, they might reconsider the alternative, more insidious forms of coping mechanisms. This kind of awareness—coupled with the complexities of things like addiction—doesn’t always mean this is easy, though. In a resurfaced interview with Payne, for instance, he explains that drinking alcohol often felt like the only option as a young musician suddenly faced with immense fame to cope “because there was no other way to get your head around what was going on”.
But this isn’t a new phenomenon, especially when those facing immense fame and success surges are below 18. Campaigners against child stars in Hollywood have long rallied for the film industry to change its infrastructure following a series of deaths and traumatised actors, and the music industry has begun to follow suit. More figures are calling for a reassess of the treatment of under-18s who enter the industry, while others are stating a complete ban on minors joining bands or labels is the only way forward.
The main argument is that youngsters need more than just a “thick skin” to be able to handle the dangers of owning their own platform, and those who enter the industry at such a young age are expected to be able to protect themselves from the potential pitfalls without much in terms of external support or education. Billie Eilish received her breakthrough at the age 13 with ‘Ocean Eyes’, and documented her experience with depression with features like Vanity Fair‘s Same Interview series—but how much went on behind the scenes to help the star get better?
“Who was in your corner? Where was this industry when you needed them?” Sharon Osbourne recently said, exposing the failures of systems like The X Factor and its inability to protect young stars at one of the most turbulent times in their lives. For those signed to labels, how much of a conversation is mental well-being support in the onboarding process, if at all? Many labels still haven’t incorporated this into their practices, which is also the same for agencies working with such labels, but some are beginning to factor this into their structure to ensure that, if an artist is struggling, they at least know how to carry the conversation.
Ex-contestant Rebecca Ferguson, who was on the show the same year as Payne, recently spoke out against the “exploitation of young stars”, arguing that “many of us are still living with the aftermath and the PTSD” of being in the spotlight at such a young age. Katie Waissel, another ex-contestant, shared a similar sentiment, arguing for a full investigation into Simon Cowell’s media company, Syco. Though not directly addressing negligence caused by age-related concerns, Cheryl Cole took this a step further by criticising “abhorrent reports and media exploitation”.
Protecting young musicians has become more of a focus in recent years, but it’s clear there’s a lot more to be done. It’s difficult, though, when impacts on mental health or unfortunate tragedies become an increasingly nuanced affair in the broader finger-pointing blame game. Besides, what would be enough? The changes to and surges of external bodies and organisations have begun to address the disparity at the surface level, while various mental health support services have enhanced the importance of cause and effect, but how do artists address a career path that comes with a myriad of unavoidable dangers?
“A very hard business”
Many high-profile figures in the music industry have seen an incredible amount of positive changes in recent years, including a greater focus on the human aspects of the business and less pressure on artists to meet deadlines and surpass commercial expectations. Some even say that support for adult musicians differs greatly from that of children and younger stars, claiming that those who enter the business under the age of 18 are now better looked after.
Speaking to BBC, the BPI backed this notion, while talent manager Jonathan Shalit stated that “a lot of lessons have been learned” in recent years. “The duty of care back then wasn’t what it could have been [on reality shows in general],” he said, adding, “Now the duty of care is considerable.” While there is still a lot of work to be done, some acknowledge that things have changed for the better, but this is only possible if teams and labels understand their artists at the most basic level. As he put it: “I always say artists are the most sensitive people in a very hard business.”
Considering the innate difficulties faced by those in the industry, however, it brings us back to the industry’s inherent dangers. Several studies into the price of fame have found that musicians have a higher risk of poor mental health, mostly due to the impact of media reporting and online scrutiny led by fans. The common approaches taken in these cases are consuming drugs and alcohol, developing disorders, or death by avoidable accidents.
Considering those findings and applying them to the vast complexities of life in the music industry—from being more susceptible to negativity to an overlooked component due to factors like background and identification—it’s clear that there really is no “silver bullet” to making sure everybody is listened to when they need support and given the help they need to not only protect themselves but to survive.
Therefore, while the debate lingers, one thing is clear: the responsibility falls on everybody’s shoulders, with the entire ecosystem needing to work together in better and more appropriate ways to create a healthier environment where mental health support is prioritised. Safeguarding is only possible when every aspect works in tandem to enable positive progress, and this collective effort is needed to prioritise the well-being of artists over profit or public image—before it’s too late.
“Empowering people in music”
As we move forward into a new chapter with enhanced knowledge of mental health practices, the most important thing we can all do, starting immediately, is to improve our knowledge of burnout, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. It’s also important to foster open dialogue, which helps to chip away at the stigma surrounding mental health and common mental struggles.
Those working in the music industry could also become more familiar with the services already available and know when to challenge demands regarding working hours or unrealistic expectations. Music Minds Matter, for instance, supports everyone working in music to identify the early signs of issues, helping to prevent crises further down the line. These tools also “explore the causes and effects of different challenges people might face with their mental wellbeing, empowering people in music with a selection of strategies to help them.”
In a broader sense, much of it also boils down to fostering a healthy culture on a basic but well-informed level, a fundamental aspect of promoting greater well-being. With everything from discrimination to substance abuse and other long-standing issues in the music industry, it’s more important now than ever to create dynamic environments where everybody is supported, backed up on a human level, and encouraged to establish personal boundaries.
