NCJ Number
181223
Journal
Adolescence Volume: 34 Issue: 134 Dated: Summer 1999 Pages: 253-273
Date Published
1999
Length
21 pages
Annotation
The relationship between a youth's preference for heavy metal music and vulnerability to suicide was studied in a sample of 121 high school students in psychology classes in 10th through 12th grades in the single public high school serving a largely middle-class community of about 20,000 people in the midwest.
Abstract
The participants completed three instruments during a regular class session. The instruments were the Reasons for Living Inventory of 48 statements, a music survey, and the Suicidal Risk Questionnaire. More than 90 percent of the participants were white; 77 were female and 44 were male, reflecting the greater number of females in psychology classes. Results revealed that the heavy metal fans, especially male fans, had less strong reasons for living than did other students. In addition, heavy metal fans, especially female fans, had more thoughts of suicide than did other students. A large majority of the students reported that listening to any type of music has a positive effect on mood. Overall, findings indicated that a preference for heavy metal music may be a red flag for increased suicidal vulnerability in adolescents, but also that the source of the problem may lie more in personal and familial characteristics than in any direct effects of the music. Findings suggested that therapists, educators, and parents might use the themes and lyrics of an adolescent's preferred music to open avenues of communication. However, care is needed to avoid stigmatizing any individual or group or triggering an imitation or contagion effect; therefore, screening focused on suicidality alone is not recommended. Finally, many primary prevention interventions are also relevant to treatment at the secondary and tertiary levels. Tables and 52 references