Mental Health Research Intern

This is a research-focused internship designed for college students interested in mental health, public health, psychology, or data research. Interns will design and administer a survey study examining the wellbeing of independent musicians, analyze the results, and produce a research report with findings and recommendations.

Interns will work with two mentors at TheMusicDev LLC: an Indie Specialist who will guide them on the music industry context and help with artist outreach, and a Tech Specialist who will mentor them on data tools and analysis methods.

This is a non-clinical role. Interns will not diagnose, treat, or counsel any individual. The work is research-oriented and intended to produce aggregate insights about the indie artist community.

• Survey Design: Build an online survey using a platform such as Qualtrics, REDCap, or Google Forms (check with your university for institutional access). Integrate validated mental health screening instruments — including the PHQ-9 (depression), GAD-7 (anxiety), PSS-10 (perceived stress), Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (burnout), UCLA Loneliness Scale (isolation), and WHO-5 Well-Being Index (general wellbeing) — alongside custom questions covering industry-specific stressors like financial instability, performance anxiety, creative burnout, and barriers to accessing care. A reference sheet with details on each instrument, scoring, and official sources will be provided.
• Literature Review: Research existing peer-reviewed studies on mental health in musicians and creative professionals to contextualize your survey findings and identify gaps in the current research.
• Artist Outreach & Data Collection: Work with our Indie Specialist to recruit indie artists to participate in the online survey. Distribute the survey via a secure link and ensure ethical data collection practices, including informed consent, anonymity protections, and a safety plan for participants who indicate risk of self-harm.
• Data Analysis: Work with our Tech Specialist to clean, analyze, and visualize survey data using standard statistical methods and tools. Learn to identify meaningful patterns and trends in the data across demographic subgroups (e.g., genre, years active, touring vs. non-touring).
• Research Report: Produce a final research report presenting your methodology, findings, comparisons to existing literature, and recommendations for how TheMusicDev LLC and the broader indie music community can better support artist wellbeing.
• Presentation: Present your findings to TheMusicDev LLC team at the end of the internship.

• Mentorship from a Tech Specialist (data analysis, tools, methodology) and an Indie Specialist (music industry context, artist engagement).
• Hands-on experience building and deploying an online research survey using platforms like Qualtrics or REDCap.
• Familiarity with validated mental health screening instruments (PHQ-9, GAD-7, PSS-10, CBI, UCLA Loneliness Scale, WHO-5) and how to apply them in research.
• A completed research report and presentation for your portfolio.
• Academic credit (subject to your university’s approval and requirements).
• A letter of recommendation upon successful completion.
• Real skills in research methodology, data analysis, scientific writing, and ethical handling of sensitive data — all highly transferable to careers in psychology, public health, data science, and beyond.

• Current undergraduate or graduate student in psychology, public health, statistics, data science, sociology, or a related field.
• Coursework or interest in research methods, statistics, or survey design.
• Genuine interest in mental health and the wellbeing of artists.
• Comfort working with sensitive data and commitment to ethical research practices.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently in a remote setting.
• Basic familiarity with spreadsheets and a willingness to learn data analysis tools.
• Familiarity with Qualtrics, REDCap, or similar survey platforms is a plus (training can be provided).

• This is an unpaid internship structured for the educational benefit of the intern, in alignment with applicable U.S. Department of Labor guidelines for unpaid internships. We encourage applicants to confirm academic credit options with their institution before applying.
• Interns will receive training on research ethics, informed consent, data privacy, the responsible handling of sensitive mental health data, and safety planning for survey participants who indicate risk of self-harm.
• This role is non-clinical. Interns will not diagnose, treat, or counsel any individual. All survey data is aggregated and analyzed at the group level for research purposes.
• TheMusicDev LLC is an equal opportunity organization and welcomes applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences.

TheMusicDev LLC is not a healthcare provider. This internship involves research only and does not constitute the provision of medical, psychological, or therapeutic services. Survey instruments used in this program are validated screening tools intended for research and screening purposes only and are not a substitute for professional clinical assessment or care.

Want me to insert it straight into SQLite (status draft) instead of you pasting — say so. Filters on /careers build from existing values, so Research / Unpaid Internship (Part-time) just appear as new options.