It should come as no surprise to hear that the mental health of performing artists in all sectors – music, theatre, dance – has been enormously affected by circumstances beyond individual control over recent years.

The COVID-19 hiatus and the difficulties associated with travel and live performance, the slow climb back to a ‘new normal’, and the vicissitudes of arts financing have taken an enormous toll.

“No sh*t, Sherlock,” some might say. Haven’t we all done it tough, regardless of what our work might be?

Indeed. But there is compelling evidence to suggest that performers may be at heightened risk of mental ill-health, says Courtney Walton, a psychologist and Research Fellow from Orygen and the University of Melbourne, specialising in mental health in elite sport.

Like sportspeople, performing artists’ working lives are frequently characterised by aspects of competition, pressure, comparison, and internal and external criticism. As a result, they may be at increased risk of mental ill-health, he tells Limelight.

Photo © Rob Simmons/Unsplash

The competitive environment

While there are clear differences between the worlds of the arts and sport, Walton contends that sportspeople, musicians, actors and dancers face similar stresses which can, in...