Study says music industry workers are subject to inordinately high levels of stress
A new study conducted by Skiddle concluded that much like musicians active in the music industry, industry workers are also susceptible to unusually elevated levels of stress. Eighty-two percent of those surveyed who hold jobs in the music industry reported “continuous levels of stress.” Skiddle’s study surveyed more than 500 industry staff members who hold a number of different positions, ranging from venue operators and event organizers to promoters. Forty-seven percent stated that their work in the music industry prompted “constant” feelings of anxiety and sadness.
Anxiety and depression were prevalent among study participants: 67 percent of respondents attested to feeling anxious, while 40percent said that they had experienced depression. Another 10 percent of employees indicated that they had begun to present symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as a direct result of their job. At 65 percent, more than half of promoters cited an “intense and unmanageable level of pressure,” due in part to concerns regarding an unstable and unpredictable regular income, and a general “lack of support.”
Skiddle’s findings echo those of Help Musicians UK’s 2017 study, in which the independent charity for musicians in the UK determined that artists may be up to three times more likely to suffer from depression as compared to the general public. The first phase of the study sought to survey musicians, focusing on their working conditions in relation to their overall mental well-being via an industry-wide survey that recorded responses from a total of 2,211 artists. As Skiddle and Help Musicians UK’s research collectively illustrates, careers within the music industry, whether as a musician or otherwise, can subject working individuals to accentuated stress levels that differ in intensity from those induced by positions in other industries or fields. The respective reports collaboratively underscore an ensuing need for mental health awareness, given the pressures of the music industry’s characteristically fast pace.
H/T: DJ Mag
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