MITC launch new, 24-hour mental health support service for artists and touring professionals

The Music Industry Therapy Collective (MITC) has launched a new 24-hour mental health support service for artists and touring professionals.

The free-to-use service, named Online Tour Health and Welfare Coaching, is available for touring professionals working in the music industry, including performers, production staff, and promoters.

Through “expert-led coaching sessions”, the 24-hour service hopes to tackle “common” issues of anxiety, depression, insomnia, stress, and burnout in touring professionals.

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The initiative follows the publication of MITC’s Touring and Mental Health: The Music Industry Manual, billed as a “guide to surviving life on the road”, written by psychotherapists, psychologists, and other mental health experts.

"Since releasing Touring and Mental Health, we’ve heard from many tours about the pressure they’re under and the lack of support available,” says MITC founder Tamsin Embleton.

"Long workdays, constant travel and last-minute schedule changes make it difficult to commit to regular therapy. Yet the need for timely, accessible support is as urgent as ever.”

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The service hopes to help touring professionals tackle problems ssuch as stress, addiction recovery, conflict, loneliness, physical wellbeing, and mental health issues.

In a 2023 study by The Musicians' Union and the Help Musicians charity, a census of nearly 6,000 professional musicians in the UK found that 30% of those surveyed suffer with poor mental health.

"We’ve seen firsthand how difficult it is for artists and crew members to access consistent mental health support while on the road. We believe this kind of support should be standard, not exceptional," says MITC’s Laura Newton.

Online Tour Health and Welfare Coaching sessions can be booked 24/7 from anywhere in the world. Find out more here.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter