Support Act needs you to wear your fave band T-shirt today

Pictured: triple j’s Ben & Liam

Support Act Ltd, the Australian music industry’s benevolent charity, needs you to get involved in today’s Ausmusic T-shirt Day.

This is by wearing your fave band tee and posting your selfie using #ausmusictshirtday.

Donate at www.supportact.org.au and go into the draw for a pair of ARIA Awards tickets.

The ABC and Support Act have partnered for this year’s Ausmusic T-shirt Day to raise $10,000 towards a new mental health helpline.

The helpline is being launched by longtime music and philanthropic company Alberts through its Tony Foundation.

Headed by Emily Albert, a social impact and sustainability specialist, the Foundation to support organisations using music to create social change.

The helpline will be the first service in Australia specifically resourced to address the challenges faced by the music industry.

“Having seen first-hand through our family’s work in the music industry the prevalence and impact of mental health issues, we are excited to be supporting this innovative tailored approach to assist music professionals and drive improved mental wellbeing throughout the industry,” Albert said last month when announcing the helpline.

Details of the helpline will be announced down the track.

The figures for the Australian entertainment industry’s performers and workers are alarming.

Researchby Entertainment Assistconducted with the College of Arts, Victoria University, showed that 25% of artists and road crews have attempted or considered suicide.

None of the road crew members sought help.

Key findings, reported then by TMN, found:

• Suicide attempts were double that of the Australian general population.
• The levels of moderate to severe anxiety symptoms are 10 times higher.
• The levels of depression symptoms are five times higher
• In a twelve month period, road crew members experienced suicide ideation almost9 times more.

As a direct result of the report, that preventive intervention and tailored strategies were needed, two associations were created independently.

The Australian Alliance for Wellness in Entertainment (AAWE) was set up to exchange data and solutions.

It was made up of nine associations– including Entertainment Assist, Live Performance Australia, Australian Society for Performing Arts Healthcare, Music Australia and Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance.

The Australian Road Crew Association (ARCA) began as a group to support each other. It is about to announce a number of fundraising initiatives to expand its services.

Last September, the NZ Music Foundation set up a free Wellbeing Service that consisted of a 24/7 online, on the phone and in-person counselling service for NZ musicians and workers.

It is also available to NZ musicians and workers who are based in Australia.

In its first year of operation, it received 85 calls from 40 individuals. There was a level split of females and males seeking help.

28% received a clinical diagnosis of a mental health/ mood disorder.

Many of the cases were dealt with via an hour session on the phone with a qualified triage counsellor.

21 were referred on for over 60 in-depth personal counselling sessions.

12% of inquiries were from people experiencing major distress who were put on to more acute clinical care such as community mental health, a GP or similar primary care provider.

Various research in Australia and globally attributed the mental health issues to the stress of work, minimal family and friend contact because of working hours, and fluctuating work and pay.

Of late, the discussions on mental health has seen many Australian musicians reveal that 24/7 bullying and negative comments on social media saw them cancel their accounts for a time as they were unable to cope when they were feeling vulnerable because of other circumstances in their personal and career lives.

It’s become so intense that one of the panels at the Electronic Music Conference in Sydney is addressing the issue, offering strategies on how to deal with the pressure.