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High suicide rates show music industry ‘profoundly dangerous’, researchers say

Calls for more support as study finds musicians in England and US have among highest rates of suicide

Musicians have one of the highest suicide rates in the world because the music business contains so many difficulties such as intense touring, performance anxiety and low earnings, researchers have suggested. Naomi Pohl, the MU’s general secretary, said: “The industry has woken up to mental health issues affecting musicians over the past few years, to a certain extent. But she said freelance musicians – who make up 70% of the workforce – faced particular trouble accessing mental health support because they could not claim sick pay and often had no direct colleagues or managers to talk problems through with.

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