Mike FletcherCharity Music Support has partnered with Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA) to produce a series of training films for the UK music industry.
The short films, adapted from existing case studies for MHFA England’s Mental Health First Aid training, cover low mood and possible depression, supporting somebody through a panic attack, and recognising the signs of psychosis. They have been reshot to feature a cast who represent a variety of music industry roles both on stage and behind the scenes.
Many of the conditions within the training programme are commonplace in cases dealt with by Music Support. The charity’s Helpline has seen a 51% increase in calls in the last year alone, with alcohol challenges being the biggest issue, closely followed by anxiety, depression and burnout.
Research by Deloitte in 2024 revealed that the cost to employers from poor mental health rose to £51bn in 2023-2024 from £45bn in 2019. Deloitte’s study also found that 27% of UK employees either left their jobs in 2023 or were planning to leave in 2024, with 59% saying this was because of poor mental health.
Music Support’s senior learning and development specialist, Norman Beecher, said: “We were very excited for the opportunity to work with MHFA England in repurposing the case study films to become even more relatable to our music industry learners. The MHFA course empowers individuals with the knowledge and skills to foster wellbeing and break stigma, as well as support those in need with empathy and understanding. We have trained more than 800 UK music industry individuals to date and look forward to going from strength to strength with this new suite of materials.”