The Music Industry Finally Taking Steps To Fight Mental Health & Addiction Problems

For years the struggles that musicians have had with mental issues and substance abuse, have led to very tragic ends. Yet, this is something that has been even romanticized and sort of accepted into the culture of the music industry.

As studies continue to shed more light on mental health issues it is clearly not a path that anyone wants to walk through. The music industry is finally taking steps to help artists who are currently dealing with these issues. So that they may get the right type of help that they need.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

According to a study that was performed in 2018 that gathered data from multiple musicians 50% of those surveyed reported that they battled depression issues. That is literally double the percentage of normal adults who reportedly battle with these issues which sits at 25%.

There are a lot of things that could contribute to these numbers being so high. One of them is substance abuse problems that are also very common in the industry. It is reported that around 70% of people who deal with depression have at one point or another dealt with substance abuse. These issues seemed to go hand and hand.

More and More Artists Are Coming Out

One of the things that have certainly helped spark the movement is the fact that more and more musicians have spoken out about the fact that there is a problem. One of those voices has been Justin Bieber‘s who is actually recently admitted to having Lyme disease as well.

He is set to detail his battle with depression and potentially other issues in a Youtube Original series. That is said to have a very different format from a lot of the movies that have been shot with certain musicians on tour.

The Nature of The Job Maybe To Blame

These days album sales are way down and streaming services are what is basically the industry afloat. Yet, this is not the best source of income for musicians. Who, have to turn to the road a lot more than they may be used to. Not being able to rely on that passive income has led to more tour dates. The fact is this literally burns out musicians.

According to studies people in the music industry may also be more prone to depression. Because of the fact that they tend to be people that can tap into their emotions at a higher rate than the average person.

What Is Actually Being Done to Combat This

The academy that hands out the Grammy Awards has actually launched a program called MusiCares. This particular program is aimed at helping musicians who are going through numerous types of health battles.

With record labels really, not playing a major role in the industry any more there are very few institutions that can actually bring people in the industry together. This just one of the multiple efforts though, that many organizations within the music industry and show business have created to be able to help with these issues. Which, are clearly tearing apart big names and upcoming artists alike.