A teenager being a Goth, an emo or a punk is a stronger predictor of self-harm than being repeatedly bullied, new research has revealed.
In the first research of its type, scientists have looked at why teenagers in certain subcultures are more likely to self-harm.
The researchers, from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow and researchers from the University of Ulm, Germany, also examined how their motivations differ from other teenagers.
The study, published in BMC Psychiatry, questioned 452 school pupils, aged 14-15 years, in Germany.
They were asked how strongly they identified with different youth cultures, such as alternative (goth, emo, punk), nerd (academic) or jock (athletic), as well as about risk factors strongly linked to self-injury including, demographic, social background, and if they have been physically bullied or verbally harassed.
Teenagers who identified themselves as “alternative” – of whom there were 33 (7.4%) – were 3 to 4 times more likely to self-injure and 6-7 times more likely to attempt suicide than other teenagers. Identifying yourself as an “alternative teenager” was a stronger predictor of self-injury or a suicide attempt than being repeatedly bullied.
They revealed that they self-injured because they want to regulate distressing emotions and communicate it to friends and family.
Athletic teens were less likely to self-injure than others, possibly because the effect of regular physical exercise, which has been shown to improve mood and combat depression in adults.
Academic (nerd) teens did not experience the peer exclusion and victimisation stereotypically associated with such pupils.
The authors say that although the research does not “prove” that identifying with alternative culture causes teens to self-harm, it is likely that isolated teenagers who struggle with emotional difficulties are naturally drawn to a musical culture that expresses these feelings.
Robert Young said: “Our work highlights just how strongly adolescents’ social identity is linked with their self-harming behaviours.”
Co-author Paul Plener, an Ulm University child and adolescent psychiatrist who specialises in music therapy for self-harming adolescents, added: “Our research supports the notion that social mechanisms influence self-harm. This is a crucial finding when thinking of ways to address and prevent self-harm in adolescence.”
Young R, Sproeber N et al. arch article – Why alternative teenagers self-harm: exploring the link between non-suicidal self-injury, attempted suicide and adolescent identity. BMC Psychiatry 2014, 14:137 [abstract]
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