Dua Lipa calls for better mental health care in the creative industries

"It’s time for the music industry to start taking the mental health of artists seriously.”

Dua Lipa has called on the creative industries to offer better mental health care to artists.

The music artists management company, TaP music, announced earlier this week (October 3) that it plans to raise £100,000 and help to raise awareness of mental health charities My Black Dog – a peer-to-peer online mental health charity and CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably). 

Speaking abut the importance of raising awareness of better mental health care, Dua Lipa said: “It’s painfully ironic that music has such power to make us happy but musicians themselves can often suffer disproportionately from mental health issues.”

She continued: “I have benefitted so much from this industry but I see around me every day what others can suffer: the fear of failure, loneliness and the intense pressures of social media, which I think is especially the case for female artists. It’s time for the music industry to start taking the mental health of artists seriously.”

“I’m shocked to read stats that reveal suicide rates among women working in the arts are almost 70% higher than in the general population. I know from personal experience that the scrutiny for female artists on social media can be particularly brutal. Mental health is the issue of our generation and it’s time the music industry woke up to it. I’m so proud my management team is raising awareness and funds and calling this out as the crisis it is.”

Swan Song
Dua Lipa performs live

Others also managed by TaP have also lent their support to the campaign such as Professor Green aka Stephen Manderson. He said: “Music has always been cathartic for me – from an early age it was a way for me to escape, to drown out the noise of the world outside. It later became a way for me to get what was inside out – but what initially gave me such release by way of expression would later by way of schedule and sleep deprivation lead to a place of unhappiness and isolation.

“Having been part of the on-going conversation around mental health – especially in the work place, I’ve spoken to many artists who’ve found themselves in similar situations to mine; it’s time we find a way to put support in place for people who need it.”

The fundraising efforts from TaP come after employees shared their experiences of losing friends and family to suicide. TaP will first embark on a cycle ride from London to Paris in 24 hours on October 4th.

The following week, they will bring together the industry with a charity 5 a-side football tournament featuring numerous record labels and industry figureheads including. You can donate to their fundraising efforts here.

Ben Mawson, co-founder of TaP Music said: “After the death of two close friends from suicide within weeks of each other earlier this year, we decided we wanted to do something to help awareness and funds for these two wonderful charities that do such incredible work saving lives.

“I was shocked to discover how prevalent suicide is – an average of over 100 deaths/week last year in the UK – particularly tragic because so many of these deaths must be avoidable it the right help was present.”

For help and advice on mental health issues, check out the below organisations:

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