New data shows that there has been a 396% surge in mental health consultations by musicians and performers since the outbreak of Covid-19.
The British Association for Performing Arts Medicine (BAPAM) has revealed this new data based on the numbers of musicians using their services over the last few years. The charity has shown that there has been a 357% increase in the number of patients who have contacted BAPAM for mental health reasons since 2019.
BAPAM's patient numbers have quadrupled in the last decade, as have its mental health consultations. The patient numbers have increased from 700 in 2014 to 2850 in 2023, driven primarily by performers seeking assistance and support for mental health concerns, which have been on the up since the Covid-19 pandemic. As well as mental health issues, the charity also supports perfomers through musculoskeletal injuries (which account for 40% of all its medical consultations) and vocal problems.
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The research has been disclosed ahead of the annual PAMA International Symposium in London, hosted by the Department of Performing Arts Medicine at Universsity College London, which is an event focused on performing arts health. It will see organisations sharing new research and best practice in performing arts medicine.
