South Africa’s mental health system is under-resourced but institutions can close the distance between people and mental health help through partnerships, such as the one between October Health and the Academy of Sound Engineering (ASE).
Alon Lits, CEO of October.health, a partner of Academy of Sound Engineering, says partnerships can close the distance between people and the mental help they need (Image supplied)
Around one in three people will experience a mental disorder, and yet most will never receive help. With thousands of suicides each year, and a treatment gap nearing 90%, the numbers reveal just how invisible the problem remains.
Institutional partnerships matter
That is the backdrop against which creatives in music, film, and entertainment are trying to build careers. The hours are long, the deadlines unforgiving, the pay inconsistent, and the public scrutiny relentless.
From our experience working with students and professionals, burnout spikes when people are grinding in isolation. When you carry the work alone, without community, misalignment occurs when you cannot see the connection between your role and the project’s mission.
When teams feel a sense of meaning and belonging, the risk of burnout falls.
This is why institutional partnerships matter.
ASE collaboration
Our collaboration with the Academy of Sound Engineering (ASE) began with a simple invitation in early 2024. We asked one question: How do we make support practical for creatives?
The answer has been to combine anonymous access, a free tier to remove cost as a barrier, and clear triage so people know where to start and what to do next.
“Our conversation with October Health started after hearing about them over a radio broadcast they were featured on. It quickly became clear that our students needed not just training for their craft, but structured support for their mental well-being too," explains As Mzi Kaka, corporate liaison at Academy of Sound Engineering.
Solving 3 main challenges
The partnership focuses on solving three main challenges that often prevent people from getting the help they need.
- Stigma
Many still view mental-health support as a sign of weakness. By providing an anonymous entry point, learners and staff can explore their options safely, without fear of judgment.
- Cost
South Africa faces a severe shortage of mental health professionals, creating a massive gap between demand and access. According to the WHO, affordable or free care options are essential to close that gap and reach people who would otherwise go without support.
- Triage
In physical health, we understand the pathway from the emergency room to assessment, imaging, and treatment. However, mental health rarely has that kind of structure. The platform provides assessments and guided next steps so that individuals do not feel lost when seeking help.
Creative tailoring
On the creative side, we have tailored our approach to realities we consistently encounter, i.e., irregular schedules, late nights, intense workload spikes, and the emotional whiplash of public performance.
Artificial intelligence (AI) lets us personalise support to context (a touring DJ vs a studio engineer vs a film student) without sacrificing quality or privacy.
The point is not to replace care, but to route people to the proper care sooner and to embed proactive mental fitness (not just crisis response) in education and work.
What does that look like with ASE?
Students have access to live sessions, coaching courses and an AI companion that normalises day-to-day check-ins, not only SOS moments.
Make it practical
For creatives, three core principles can make a difference.
- The first is simple: do not do it alone. Reach out to a friend, family member, peer community, or a free helpline such as SADAG.
- Build community on purpose. People who have a group to return to, whether a support circle, faith community, or recovery group, tend to show lower readmission rates after psychiatric care. Belonging is protective.
- Train the mental muscles. High performers in any field work deliberately on agency, resilience, visualisation, and recovery. Small wins matter and accumulate over time.
