Mental Health in a Pandemic: Organizations, Support Groups Rally to Help Artists & Music Industry Workers

From the Article:

"I think what [the coronavirus pandemic has] done is shine a spotlight on the immense vulnerabilities of this industry and this population -- it's just happening on a larger scale right now," says Zack Borer, a licensed psychotherapist and former touring musician who co-founded and serves as clinical director at Backline, an organization that provides mental health resources for music professionals. Formed just last year, Backline quickly recognized the need for an outlet for industry workers sidelined by the shutdown. It's now hosting a twice-weekly Zoom support group with an accompanying Facebook group alongside the Tour Health Research Initiative (THRIV) that gives music workers a chance to vent their fears and frustrations with others who are experiencing a similar sense of dislocation, and even panic, during the crisis.

Though financial resources for music professionals put out of work by the pandemic have been growing by the day, the crisis' mental health and wellness aspects have received considerably less attention. That has made Borer's support group -- which he co-facilitates with THRIV co-founder Dr. Chayim Newman -- a desperately-needed lifeline for many who just need a space to vent their fears and frustrations. According to Borer, attendance at the sessions has varied, with as few as 20 and as many as 150 people from across the globe participating on any given day.

The support groups have proven popular enough that Backline has expanded its coronavirus initiative to include free weekly meditation and breathwork sessions in partnership with the "emotional fitness" company Frequency. It will also offer free weekly yoga classes in partnership with Fit on Tour, which offers consultation and coaching services for touring professionals.

"We're not trying to provide solutions to what people are going through, but create a community with each other where we're able to access our own emotional vulnerabilities during this really, really challenging time," Borer says. He points out that many in the industry are so inundated with work during a normal year that they don't typically have the time or space to recognize that their mental and emotional needs aren't being met -- with most now isolated at home, that has changed virtually overnight.

Read more at https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/9350247/mental-health-help-artists-music-industry-workers-coronavirus