a day ago
‘We want mental health care at festivals to be the norm' – charity provides support for music fans this summer
Mick Ledden, a psychotherapist, and his sister Kathryn Ledden, a medical doctor, founded PsyCare Ireland after identifying a lack of mental health services for enthusiasts attending music events.
It provides one-to-one peer support, psychological first aid and crisis mental health intervention.
Mr Ledden identified the need after volunteering for PsyCare UK, which directly led him to set up the Irish affiliate.
The charity has two part-time staff, as well as 20 core 'behind-the-scenes' people and about 180 volunteers.
'What we're trying to do is make mental health supports the norm at festivals. It's the norm in the States, Europe and the UK,' Mr Ledden said.
'The culture of taking care of the mental health of punters at festivals in Ireland isn't taken into account yet. A cultural evolution is needed. We think concerts and festivals can provide life-changing experiences. But it can also be a challenging experience. I've had challenges myself at music festivals in my early 20s.'
PsyCare Ireland mainly provides its services at smaller, independent music festivals and concerts, but is trying to expand into some of the bigger and more mainstream festivals too.
'All of our volunteers are highly trained, and a lot of our staff have a background in therapy or are doctors and nurses. We will send people to the medical tents if they are having an adverse reaction to taking drugs or alcohol,' Mr Ledden said.
'Often, the medics are sending people to us after they've been checked. Once it's established that people are medically OK, sometimes they just need a calm and safe space, away from the bright lights of a medical tent, where one of our trained volunteers will sit with them until they get through their psychological distress.
'One person was queuing to get their breakfast at a festival. They got a phone call that one of their best friends at home had taken their own life.
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'This person was grief-stricken and was unable to process the news. We helped them contact their family and arranged for them to be collected. We have people coming in stone-cold sober who just need to talk. Sometimes they've had a row with their partner or lost their friends.
If a person is suicidal, that's a safeguarding red flag and a plan is put in place involving the necessary medics
'We have had people who have taken psychedelic drugs and this can lead them to remember traumatic events. That's where our specialist support hubs come in very useful.
We try to refer people on to services afterwards if they need further mental health supports.
'We've also helped people who might be neurodivergent and are overstimulated by the crowds at festivals. And we help those who have become disassociated because of substances and just need to get through it until they recover.
'If a person is suicidal, that's a safeguarding red flag and a plan is put in place involving the necessary medics. We've had cases too, usually with teenagers, who've taken drugs and need their parents to come and take them home.'
Data shows that around 1pc of people who attend music events where PsyCare Ireland are working avail of the service.
'That's 50 people out of 5,000 attending in some cases. We are very busy. Our vision is that at every concert in this country there should be one or two people trained in mental health support,' Mr Ledden said.
