For most of the modern music industry’s 100-year history, mental health was barely spoken about. Individuals suffered silently, burned out privately (or publicly) and often, at least in the case of behind-the-scenes music workers, were replaced. The show went on.
Thankfully, that has largely changed. Awareness is up, stigma is down. Artists speak vulnerably in interviews, tours are beginning to budget for wellness, and labels and management companies publicly commit to the well-being of their people. That’s real progress and is deserving of recognition.
The same cultural shift, however, has opened the door to something else: a wave of new providers and initiatives prioritizing cultural relevance through headlines, marketing and the prestige of working with artists, often at the expense of the clinical care itself. The people who genuinely want to help — artists, touring teams and music companies — can’t easily tell the difference between real care and performative marketing. They sign on. They invest real dollars. And, when they align with providers that don’t provide sufficient care, the mental health of those they’re seeking to help doesn’t actually improve.
The question is no longer whether to invest in mental health, but what kind of mental health care actually works. It’s time to help the music industry discern the difference, and to hold clinical support to a new standard: one focused exclusively on improving well-being, alleviating suffering, and helping the people in the industry build sustainable careers and more meaningful lives.
Raising the Bar: What Quality Care Looks Like
Evidence-Based Practice: Quality care is grounded in empirical research, not in trends, intuition or personal opinion. Some clinical approaches have decades of data behind them. Others don’t. The industry deserves to know the difference so they can support the organizations and industry partners who are prioritizing evidence-based care.
Population-Specific Training: The music industry is unlike any other working environment. Six-month tours, overnight fame, label politics, public scrutiny and the financial precarity baked into the work tend to attract individuals with unique psychological vulnerabilities and histories. When those two forces meet, they create a tinderbox of mental health challenges for which standard training and licensure don’t prepare clinicians.
Providers working with this community need population-level training that goes well beyond general licensure. Short-form trainings are a step in the right direction, but aren’t adequate on their own. Comprehensive certifications, and even master’s-level degree programs designed specifically for this population, should be the baseline. Not because anyone’s credentials or intentions are in question, but because this population deserves a standard of clinical care built to match its distinct needs.
Clinical Supervision: Quality care cannot end at the point of referral. It requires that senior clinicians actively oversee treatment, track progress and ensure that care is delivered correctly and effectively. Supervision is the quality control mechanism of mental health care; it is what keeps standards high and outcomes on track. For any clinician, program or organization providing support in this space, building in that layer of oversight is essential.
Appropriate Financial Accountability: There is compelling evidence that individuals who are financially invested in their own care exhibit better outcomes. At the same time, placing the financial responsibility solely on the individual is untenable in an industry where the mental health challenges are being heavily fueled by the nature of the work itself. Artists and industry professionals should have skin in the game, but so should the numerous entities (promoters, labels, managers, publishers) that benefit from their talent. Fan-funded and donor-supported programs matter greatly and play a vital role, especially for independent and emerging artists, but they are not substitutes for what multimillion-dollar organizations can and should fund directly.
Moving Forward
Mental health infrastructure built specifically for this population already exists, created by music industry partners and allies with integrity and a deep commitment to quality of care over cultural relevance. With coordinated and more discerning adoption and investment, that infrastructure could fundamentally reshape the industry, leading to longer careers and less burnout, and lower rates of depression, substance abuse and suicide.
Here are meaningful actions we can take today to become part of that shift:
Supporting the work directly. The Music Industry Mental Health Fund — the Music Health Alliance’s mental health Program — provides comprehensive outpatient mental health resources for music professionals nationwide, including a trained advocate available within 24 hours, vetted provider matching, direct therapy funding, and ongoing support covering both crisis scenarios and long-term stability. Our financial contributions can help expand its reach.
Spreading the word. It’s important to promote vetted resources across our networks, collaborators, teammates and partners. Music-focused organizations like MusiCares and Project Healthy Minds offer financial assistance, tools and roadmaps, while we at Amber Health deliver on-the-ground support built specifically for this community; all emphasize the highest quality of care. We must do our homework to make sure that the resources we promote meet a real standard.
Leading by example. Culture changes through what we’re willing to discuss, what we prioritize in our own care and what we make visible at work. We can normalize the conversation and show up with vulnerability, as humans first and foremost.
The era of awareness is over. Welcome to the era of quality care.
Dr. Chayim Newman is the co-founder of Amber Health – the only full-service mental health and wellness solution for the music industry — providing gold-standard support for tours, artists, live events and music industry companies. He holds his PhD in Clinical Psychology and specializes in clinical care for music industry members, using a variety of therapeutic modalities (ACT, CBT, Mindfulness, traditional psychotherapy) in the treatment of psychological and emotional issues. Having been involved in the music industry for over two decades, as a touring performer, event producer, and artist liaison, Dr. Newman possesses a first-hand understanding of its unique challenges and stresses. Dr. Newman was also the co-founder of the Tour Health Research Initiative (THRIV), dedicated to conducting research on mental health in the touring sector.
Zack Borer, LMFT is the co-founder of Amber Health and is a licensed psychotherapist based in Los Angeles with a Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. After a decade as a working musician and songwriter, Zack entered the mental health field out of a desire to help music industry professionals with the unique struggles and stressors that come with being in a challenging and complex business. Zack works with artists and their support staff to enhance their emotional wellbeing, and to help mitigate the acute mental health crises that have become commonplace in the music industry.
