New music-led mental health portal launches

A new music-led mental health portal entitled The Mind Map has launched today, focusing on providing young people suffering with mental health problems support and guidance.

This new platform, launched by Phil Bridges, a Youth Mental Health First Aid instructor and Adolescent Mental Health university lecturer, targets those aged between 16 - 30 and aims to offer access to subsidised counselling and the ability to find and book free mental health services and resources in their local area. They also aim to give access to The Mind Map Magazine that shares articles and interviews with well-known music artists and sports stars regarding mental health.

Based in Liverpool, The Mind Map is the result of a three-year research project carried out between them and leading organisations with Mental Health at the centre of their agenda. Contributors include the likes of Liverpool John Moores University, Imperial College London and the NHS amongst others.

In addition to interviewing over 100 musicians about how they stay mentally well, The Mind Map have also been busy training Mental Health First Aiders at music venues across the country, including staff at the 100 Club and Independent Venue Week.

Founder Phil Bridges said: “We all have mental health - good or bad. But our research uncovered what we suspected, that young people don’t feel they have access to the support they need.

“Our latest study into online mental health provisions showed a staggering 88.5% of students at Liverpool John Moores University felt that there were not enough online provisions available.”

The Mind Map are aligning action with awareness and promoting a New Normal where people can talk as openly about their emotions, as they’d talk about last night’s game or the latest TV series.

Browsing their immersive magazine section leads you to international musicians and Premier League footballers talking about everything from anxiety to grief and how they have dealt with their respective life challenges and mental health issues. This creates dialogue, reduces stigma and helps put Mental Health front-and-centre as an important issue to the young adults of the UK and their welfare.

Visit the new The Mind Map website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date with everything they're doing.

Tayler Willson is Mixmag's Digital Fashion Editor. Follow him on Twitter

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