Heavy Metal, Depression and Drugs

A study by researchers from the University of Montreal, published in the 2001 Journal of Youth and Adolescence deals with the subject of heavy metal music, youth depression, drugs and suicide.

The study probes the characteristics of youth who prefer heavy metal to other kinds of music, who worship heavy metal music and use this music for vicarious release. Findings were that youth of both sexes who preferred heavy metal did not have a significantly increased suicidal risk factor, although it was found that there was less risk of suicide in girls who used heavy metal music for emotional release.

The study was conducted on the basis that in the Canadian province of Quebec, suicide among youth was prevalent with this province then having one of the highest rates of youth suicide among industrialized countries, with a 1987 survey revealing around 180 attempts for every completed suicide.

see study:

Risk factors for youth suicide are poor family relationships, feelings of alienation and depression. As with the Norwegian Breivik, the signs of a potential lead up to mass murder and or suicide on the part of alienated youth, who have had poor family relationships, and who are overwhelmingly depressed, can readily be seen in hindsight. Generally youth depression and feelings of alienation can be traced back to family issues, failure of nurturing and appropriate support. see article

Some youth who feel depressed and alienated turn to aggression as a means of relief, others seek a more passive escape route – using drugs and music. The use of music by youth in preference to books and social media is associated with more intense feelings of depression.

With the lyrics and content of heavy metal music about death, and evil and pain, it has been thought that youth exposed to such music could be at risk of taking up the ideations and become at risk for suicide.

Whilst alienated kids might tend to be loners, as in the case of Breivik, there is a tendency for alienated youth to join sub cultures that enable them to have a sense of belonging, a source of identity.

These sub cultures are attractive to youth because their values represent similar values to those that the alienated individual has. Heavy metal bands express ideas and emotions that are at the “heavy” end of the emotional spectrum. Youth joins the heavy metal subculture because they resonate with the feelings and life experience of the members of the group.

Even since Roman times, parents have complained about the loud music that they don’t understand, that the young people are playing.- with rock and roll music in the 1950′s also causing consternation in the older generation.

The Montreal article says that these modern “pop” song lyrics include references to drugs, sex, Satanism and perversion that make parents fear for the safety of their children. Youth searching for identity and a group to be with might seek heavy metal, might do drugs, very often these two “coping” mechanisms will be found together.

Alienated youth will have more difficulties in finding a stable self image – although drugs used as a means of asserting personal identity have detrimental results, the use of heavy metal music does not appear to be harmful in itself . It may have beneficial effects in reducing negativity and suicidal thoughts. It has been thought that heavy metal music could have a negative impact if children are using it to evade dealing with their real issues and problems.

The research confirmed that female heavy metal fans felt more alienated, depressed, suicidal, used more drugs than socially integrated girls, that generally boys who enjoyed heavy metal were not much different from their peers, but tended to use drugs.

Heavy metal music is described in the research as having morbid and aggressive symbolism, Interestingly, boys who listened to heavy metal music for cathartic release tended to have better parental relationships, and used fewer drugs than girls.

The study concluded that it is the personal characteristics of youth, rather than their heavy metal preferences that is a determinant of potential suicide.

It would seem that far from being a harmful thing, heavy metal music reaches out to troubled youth, and helps them to normalize and perhaps resolve their negative feelings. If youth identifies with the heavy metal groups who are expressing their own life experience, through the medium of their songs – it may well be that these heavy metal groups are getting through to and relating to troubled kids where parents and authorities are failing.

Perhaps parents are too easily shocked, put off by the violent lyrics - most heavy metal songs in fact offer the hope of sanctity, purification and redemption for those in deep despair. Powerful songs that come from a place where the issues in life are abuse, betrayal of trust and existential survival.

Heavy metal music can be a lifeline, a helpline to alienated youth - coming from individuals who have suffered abuse in their lives - and survived to sing about it.

Heavy metal music is too heavy for most to enjoy – but for youth trapped at that level of emotional pain – the songs are highly relevant, and can bring on feelings of catharsis, of being understood. People who want to better understand alienated youth can link to Metallica – Load.