UK Charity Music Support Launches Mental Health First Aid Training Films

Music Support is the charity dedicated to UK music industry professionals experiencing substance use, addiction and/or mental health challenges.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England is the UK’s authority on mental health first aid, providing people with the skills and confidence to recognize the signs and symptoms of common mental health issues, start a conversation, and effectively guide a person towards the right support.

Both organizations have now partnered to launch a series of training films tailored to a UK music industry audience.

The short films, which act as case studies during MHFA England’s staff training, are based on existing training materials, but were “reshot to place them in settings more akin to a music industry audience,” according to the press announcement.

See: UK Charity Music Support Addresses Increase In Mental Health Problems

The films feature a cast representing a variety of industry roles both on stage and behind the scenes.

The films deal with low mood and possible depression, supporting somebody through a panic attack and recognizing signs of psychosis.

Many of the conditions that feature within the MHFA England training program are commonplace in cases that come before Music Support, which has seen a 51% increase in calls coming through its helpline in the last year alone.

Alcohol challenges form the biggest issue among the cases coming before Music Support, closely followed by anxiety, depression and burnout.

Both organizations quote research carried out by Deloitte in 2024, which revealed that the cost to employers from poor mental health rose to £51 billion ($55 billion) in 2023-2024 from £45 billion ($49 billion) in 2019.

Deloitte’s study also found that 27% of UK employees either left their job in 2023 or were planning to leave in 2024, with 59% saying this was because of poor mental health.

Investing in staff mental health can have a huge impact on businesses. Employers see a return of £4.70 on average for every £1 spent on staff wellbeing. Organization-wide early interventions, such as culture change and raising awareness of mental health issues, provide the highest return for employers, at £6.30 for every £1 spent.

The MHFA England’s training provides participants with the knowledge and skills to spot the signs of an individual experiencing poor mental health, the confidence to start a conversation, and the tools to signpost appropriate support.

The training is proven to make a lasting difference. 92% of learners say they have a better understanding of mental health following their course, by MHFA England’s own admission.

See: Music Support UK Hires Kimberley Goddard & Laila Khan In Key Roles

Music Support’s senior learning and development specialist, Norman Beecher, commented, “We were very excited for the opportunity to work with MHFA England in repurposing the case study films to become even more relatable to our music industry learners. The MHFA course empowers individuals with the knowledge and skills to foster wellbeing and break stigma, as well as supporting those in need with empathy and understanding. We have trained more than 800 UK music industry individuals to date and look forward to going from strength to strength with this new suite of materials.”

Vicki Cockman, director of training and consultancy from MHFA England, added, “At MHFA England, we want our training to create a forum in which individuals can talk more freely about mental health and seek support when they need it, which is why we were really pleased when Music Support approached us with the concept of creating bespoke case study films for their learners. They have skillfully retained the essence of the original films whilst making subtle cast, venue and dialogue decisions to provide greater resonance with a music industry audience. This innovative initiative is the first of its kind for MHFA England and Music Support and we are confident that it will help us to further achieve our shared mission of training one in 10 people in mental health knowledge, awareness and skills.”

Carlene Annon, crew logistics manager at Britannia Row Productions, said of their team becoming mental health first aiders with Music Support: “At Britannia Row Productions, a Clair Global brand, we pride ourselves on being a people-led company and encourage and promote MHFA training to prevent difficult situations as best we can. The more people in our work environment that are trained gives us all a better chance of supporting each other in a meaningful way, reducing stigma and promoting positive mental health, as well as reminding us to practice self-care. We’re grateful to Music Support for holding sessions that undoubtedly contribute to the betterment of the live music industry.”

In addition to delivering mental health first aid, Music Support also works with individuals and companies to create bespoke training programs on a wide range of topics including addiction and recovery awareness, self-care, work-life balance and neurodiversity.

One such collaboration with Live Nation has seen the charity provide tailored mental health training to more than 100 of their line managers in a bid to raise awareness of the importance of supporting mental health in the workplace.

Jana Watkins, VP of human resources at Live Nation, commented, “Music Support understands our business and the complex, unique challenges employees face in the live entertainment sector. Live Nation has partnered with the charity here in the UK for several years now, working with managers on how to support their teams when it comes to mental health. Employees are given the chance to input into the programme and specify areas where they need support, which has resulted in targeted content and output. It’s a game changer.”

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