Heavy metal can trigger mentalillness, says Australianacademic

Fri 21st Oct, 2011 in Local News

“Young people at risk of depression are more likely to be listening to music, particularly heavy metal music, in a negative way,” according to Dr Katrina McFerran, a senior lecturer in Music Therapy at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.

Dr McFerran conducted “in-depth interviews” with 50 kids aged between 13 and 18, and surveyed 1000 more in an attempt to develop an early intervention model that could help schools and parents to identify children who may develop behavioral problems.

She says that “The mp3 revolution means that young people are accessing music more than ever before and it’s not uncommon for some to listen to music for seven or eight hours a day… [However] when someone listens to the same song or album of heavy metal music over and over again and doesn’t listen to anything else. They do this to isolate themselves or escape from reality. If this behavior continues over a period of time then it might indicate that this young person is suffering from depression or anxiety, and at worst, might suggest suicidal tendencies.”

Dr McFerran warns parents to be aware of their children’s music listening habits, suggesting that they should “ask their children questions like – how does that music make you feel? If children say the music reflects or mirrors the way they feel then ask more about what the music is saying. If listening doesn’t make them feel good about themselves, this should ring alarm bells. Alternatively, if parents notice a downturn in their child’s mood after listening to music this is also a cause for showing interest and getting involved.”

You got that? It’s bad to listen to music that makes you feel bad.

So as listening to LMFAO makes us feel very, very bad (and like punching strangers) we’re going to spend the rest of the day listening to the new Mastodon album on repeat cause it makes us feel pretty damn good.