Mental health for musicians post-pandemic and beyond + How Music Helps Our Mental Health

Music Helps

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Musician and neurologist Dr. Joe Barnby studies how the pandemic affected the mental health of music-makers alike. Hereโ€™s what he foundโ€ฆ

by Jessica Letkemann from Spotify For Artists

This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for health advice. You should consult your own advisors and/or mental health professionals before making any personal decisions.

Making music has always made for an intense career, often full of the kinds of uncertainties โ€” from money to time โ€” that can stress you out. On top of that, the effects of the ongoing pandemic threw a monkeywrench into many artistsโ€™ lives that continues to be felt. Dr. Joe Barnby, a musician and neuroscientist in the field of mental health, checked back in with Spotify for Artists to share what heโ€™s observed about how Covid has added to the unique stresses of the profession.

โ€œData that has come out during the pandemic has highlighted who is more vulnerable to depression and anxiety,โ€ Barnby says. โ€œThe one thing that stands out about musicians compared to other professions is that they [often] havenโ€™t got that security of financial stabilityโ€ฆ and that unfortunately means that when something like Covid happens where thereโ€™s a huge change in the way that we need to adapt to live, it can be very difficult to carry on being a musician in those circumstances.โ€

Almost two-thirds of the respondents to MusiCares 2021 โ€œWellness in Musicโ€ survey felt financial stress every day. Meanwhile, over a quarter reported moderate to severe depression.

โ€œNo sort of economic parachute for people with inconsistent incomes makes stress all the more exaggerated and magnified. Musicians feel that they canโ€™t really afford to exist doing what we love doing, like writing music or producing music, combined with trying to afford an apartment, and trying to afford food.โ€

Isolation is one major risk factor for musicians that multiplied when lockdowns and restrictions interrupted the social and support networks that are vital to good mental health. While that has eased this year, Barnby has seen that, โ€œWe were still not able to talk to people and interact with people in the same way. We didnโ€™t have that social spontaneity we were used to.โ€ To combat that, he says, itโ€™s important to, โ€œhave people around you that you can rely on to be there for you to talk things over and be there with you emotionally.โ€

Your need for a like-minded community of fellow musicians is also key, as other stresses have piled up. โ€œHaving a forum where you can discuss that among yourselves is so powerful,โ€ Barnby says. โ€œTalking through problems that youโ€™re all facing gives you the benefit of group ideas. Itโ€™s not just you thinking about it on your own.โ€

In addition to having people to rely on, the other โ€œnormal things recommended for good mental health โ€” good exercise, nutrition, and sleepโ€ also apply.

โ€œWe know the importance of sleep in regulating things like cognition, our emotion, and our ability to deal with stresses during the day,โ€ he says. โ€œIf you have a completely uneven sleep schedule, we know that that is predisposing people to have poorer mental health and to find dealing with normal life stresses a lot more difficult.

โ€œThereโ€™s emerging evidence about the relationship between the gut and brain, and how the things we eat affect our psychology. Our social environments can encourage poorer or better eating. If youโ€™re constantly on a tight schedule, you havenโ€™t got the time to prepare food thatโ€™s really nutritious. We know that eating food that doesnโ€™t encourage healthy gut microbiota will predispose you to having poorer mental health.โ€

โ€œArt and culture is so important to a healthy, functioning society,โ€ Barnby says. And he feels that points to the need for mental health โ€œalleviation for struggling musicians that otherwise could contribute massively to society.โ€

Alana Bonilla on 09/16/2022