Study: NZ report reveals alarming mental health issues in local industry
Findings released in a New Zealand Music Foundation reportsuggest that over a third of local songwriters, composers and performers have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder.
The charity undertook the New Zealand Music Community Wellbeing Survey in July with 1,350 participants answering 40 questions about their working hours and income, sleep, nutrition and exercise, drug and alcohol use, mental health and support networks.
The statistics surrounding mental health issues in the NZ music industry more than double the incidence of the general population, according to initial findings of the report that were released in September.
Furthermore, songwriters, performers and composers are two and a half times as likely to be diagnosed with depression as the general population, drawing focus on the hardships and difficulties that many industry members face.
“This is such an important issue for artists – many of us find ourselves supporting each other clumsily, through the power of solidarity alone. Others of us just don’t talk about it with people at all,” said an anonymous survey participant.
The report notes that 140 of the 1,350 survey participants did, in fact, make plans and preparations to commit suicide with 100 saying that they had gone on to carry out a suicide attempt.
In response to the initial findings of the report, a new initiative called the New Zealand Music Foundation Wellbeing Service was established by the charity on the September 29 to provide on the phone and in-person free professional counselling service for NZ based music industry members experiencing hardship.
Service Director Julie Crawley is pleased with the impact that the service has already had, having only been in operation for eight weeks.
“We’ve had an extraordinary response, higher than any other industry support line service of this type in my experience,” said Crawley. “While some calls have been general in nature, others have been serious with presenting issues including mental health, managing in the industry, the difficulties of financial sustainability, depression and anxiety, chronic health concerns and more.
“Those who have been referred to in-person counselling have given feedback that the sessions have been of great relief and help,” she added. “There is a genuine appreciation of there being a tailored avenue of support available for music people now, and I believe that use of The New Zealand Music Foundation Wellbeing Service will grow and develop.”
The bleak state of the music industry is not only confined to New Zealand. The recent report mirrors findings from an Australian world first research initiative released by Entertainment Assist and Victoria University in October.
2,904 Australian music industry professionals were included in the study which revealed that suicide ideation is six times greater in the entertainment industry, suicide planning is over four times greater and suicide attempts are more than double the general population.