Mental health service for musicians expands to meet soaring demand

Help Musicians and its longstanding clinical partner BAPAM are expanding the charity's mental health offer, Music Minds Matter, with two new strands of support.

A national network of support groups will be created and targeted signposting will be deployed to help musicians amid a 65% rise in demand since the start of 2021.

Music licensing company PPL has made a three-year financial commitment worth £300,000 to ensure more access to counselling and therapy.

Help Musicians' Chief Executive James Ainscough said music is beneficial to wellbeing and yet musicians seem to disproportionately struggle with theirs: "The pandemic has amplified this paradox."

"Working together, spotlighting all that is valuable whoever the provider, the music industry can embed lasting change and become a leader in caring for the mental health of its people."

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