Suicide in music subcultures
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Suicide in music subcultures refers to the relationship between members of a subculture of music fans and the act of suicide. Researchers have examined the relationship between heavy metal subculture,{{cite journal|last1=Stack|first1=S|last2=Gundlach|first2=J|last3=Reeves|first3=JL|title=The heavy metal subculture and suicide.|journal=Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior|date=1994|volume=24|issue=1|pages=15–23|doi=10.1111/j.1943-278X.1994.tb00659.x|pmid=8203005|s2cid=27120844}} goth subculture,{{cite journal|last1=Young|first1=R.|title=Prevalence of deliberate self harm and attempted suicide within contemporary Goth youth subculture: longitudinal cohort study|journal=BMJ|volume=332|issue=7549|date=2006|pages=1058–1061|issn=0959-8138|doi=10.1136/bmj.38790.495544.7C|pmid=16613936|pmc=1458563}} emo subculture,{{cite journal|last1=Definis-Gojanović|first1=M|last2=Gugić|first2=D|last3=Sutlović|first3=D|title=Suicide and Emo youth subculture--a case analysis.|journal=Collegium Antropologicum|date=December 2009|volume=33|issue=Suppl 2|pages=173–5|pmid=20120408}} and opera subculture{{cite journal|last1=Stack|first1=Steven|title=Opera Subculture and Suicide for Honor|journal=Death Studies|volume=26|issue=5|year=2002|pages=431–437|issn=0748-1187|doi=10.1080/07481180290086763|pmid=12046619|s2cid=46253511}} and suicide.
Goth subculture
A study published on the British Medical Journal concluded that "identification as belonging to the Goth subculture [at some point in their lives] was the best predictor of self harm and attempted suicide [among young teens]", and that it was most possibly due to a selection mechanism (persons that wanted to harm themselves later identified as goths, thus raising the percentage of those persons who identify as goths).{{cite journal|url=http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/bmj.38790.495544.7Cv1 |title=Prevalence of deliberate self harm and attempted suicide within contemporary Goth youth subculture: longitudinal cohort study |journal=BMJ |date=13 April 2006 |doi=10.1136/bmj.38790.495544.7C |accessdate=2011-12-27|last1=Young |first1=Robert |last2=Sweeting |first2=Helen |last3=West |first3=Patrick |volume=332 |issue=7549 |pages=1058–1061 |pmid=16613936 |pmc=1458563 }} According to The Guardian, some goth teens are at more likely to harm themselves or attempt suicide. A medical journal study of 1,300 Scottish schoolchildren until their teen years found that 53% of the goth teens had attempted to harm themselves and 47% had attempted suicide. The study found that the "correlation was stronger than any other predictor."Polly Curtis and John Carvel. "Teen goths more prone to suicide, study shows." The Guardian, Friday 14 April 2006 The study was based on a sample of 15 teenagers who identified as goths, of which 8 had self-harmed by any method, 7 had self-harmed by cutting, scratching or scoring, and 7 had attempted suicide.{{cite journal | journal = British Medical Journal | title = Prevalence of deliberate self harm and attempted suicide within contemporary Goth youth subculture: longitudinal cohort study |author1=Robert Young |author2=Helen Sweeting |author3=Patrick West | issue = 7549| pages = 1058–1061 | date = 4 May 2006 | doi = 10.1136/bmj.38790.495544.7C | url= | pmid = 16613936 | volume = 332 | pmc = 1458563 }}{{cite news | work = New Scientist | title = Goth subculture may protect vulnerable children | date = 14 April 2006 | author = Gaia Vince | url = https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8996-goth-subculture-may-protect-vulnerable-children.html |accessdate=2012-03-18}}{{cite news | work = BBC | title = Goths 'more likely to self-harm' | date = 13 April 2006 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4905898.stm |accessdate=2012-03-18}}
The authors held that most self-harm by teens was done before joining the subculture, and that joining the subculture would actually protect them and help them deal with distress in their lives. The authors insisted on the study being based on small numbers and on the need of replication to confirm the results. The study was criticized for using only a small sample of goth teens and not taking into account other influences and differences between types of goths; by taking a study from a larger number of people.Sources:
This most likely meant that, according to the survey, there was more of a stereotype towards goths that they did practice self-harming. Some would argue that it is a very unfair stereotype to place upon goths, as the vast majority of the goth subculture is against even the thought of practicing self-harm and is strongly against it.
- Letter to the editor {{cite journal | journal = BMJ | date = 2006-05-20 | issue = 332(7551) | page = 1216 | doi = 10.1136/bmj.332.7551.1216 | pmc =1463972 | title=Letters. Self harm in Goth youth subculture: Conclusion relates only to small sample | author = Mark Taubert, senior house officer in palliative medicine Holme Tower Marie Curie Hospital, Jothy Kandasamy specialist registrar in neurosurgery Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery | volume = 1 | pmid=16710018}}
- Letter to the editor {{cite journal | journal = BMJ | date = 2006-05-20 | issue = 7551| pages = 1215–1216 | doi = 10.1136/bmj.332.7551.1215-b | title = Letter. Self harm in Goth youth subculture: Study merely reinforces popular stereotypes | url= | pmid = 16710012 | last1 = Phillipov | first1 = M | volume = 332 | pmc = 1463947 }}
- Author's reply {{cite journal | journal = BMJ | date = 2006-06-03 | issue = 7553| page = 1335 | doi = 10.1136/bmj.332.7553.1335-a | title = Letter. Self harm in Goth youth subculture: authors' reply | url= | pmid = 16740576 | last1 = Young | first1 = R | last2 = Sweeting | first2 = H | last3 = West | first3 = P | volume = 332 | pmc = 1473089 }}
See also
- "Suicide Solution" - 1980 heavy metal song by Ozzy Osbourne implicated in the death of a fan