Pioneering mental health platform, Music Minds Matter Explore, launched for Help Musicians charity
With reports of escalating levels of poor mental health within the arts and entertainment sector, the charity Help Musicians has unveiled Music Minds Matter Explore, an industry-first mental health support exploration hub created by the team at Frog Systems.
The platform provides a safe online space where anyone involved in the industry who feels that they are struggling can explore support options. It brings together all the charity’s mental health resources alongside videos where those involved in the industry share their personal experiences to help their peers. Musicians can also connect directly with organisations that may be able to provide further support.
Joe Hastings, Head of Music Minds Matter, said: “Music and musicians bring us all enormous joy but mental health needs within the music industry are continuing to rise. Working with Frog Systems we have launched Music Minds Matter Explore to provide all those working in the sector with a new and additional form of help – adding to the range of services Help Musicians offers in this area. We hope that those using the site will find information to understand their needs better, signposting to support available locally and nationally, plus knowledgeable, and supportive voices.”
The platform is part of the continued expansion of Help Musicians’ Music Minds Matter mental health support service, incorporating its 24-hour helpline and online support sessions. People from all parts of the music industry – from singers and songwriters to tour managers – have shared their own lived experience of issues such as depression, loneliness, and performance anxiety. The large online library also includes videos from clinicians who specialise in the mental health challenges that face those working in the music industry.
Help Musicians turned to Frog Systems after their own survey revealed that 87% of respondents had suffered a deterioration in their mental health since the start of the pandemic. Since then, the Music Minds Matter service has seen a huge rise in requests for support, with phone calls alone rising by 30% in the first few months of this year and demand for therapeutic support doubling as musicians grapple with the challenges of rebuilding their careers post pandemic.
The team at Frog Systems used their Ashia software to create a welcoming space that is rich in content and provides a comprehensive UK-wide directory of local organisations, services, and peer support groups. Individual searches on the platform are confidential to protect each user’s privacy which encourages them to seek help. The analytics generated will highlight the concerns of the music community and flag where further support services might be needed.
Phil Worms, CEO of Frog Systems, said: “We know that giving a voice to those who have experienced poor mental health can be an incredibly powerful tool for those who are going through it. Only those working within the music industry truly understand how the challenges of the past two years have affected their community. It’s important that these struggles are brought out into the open and that musicians share their own experiences and coping strategies to help others. We hope the Music Minds Matter Explore hub helps everyone associated with music in this country with what they might be going through.”
The new Music Minds Matter Explore mental health hub is available here.
