Music Tube

A study, published in today's Australasian Psychiatry
journal, found that teens who listened to pop music were more likely to
be struggling with their sexuality, those tuning in to rap or heavy
metal could be having unprotected sex and drink-driving, and those who
favoured jazz were usually misfits and loners.

study's author, Felicity Baker, said yesterday: "There is no evidence
to suggest the type of music you listen to will cause you to commit
suicide, but those who are vulnerable and at risk of committing suicide
may be listening to certain types of music."

delinquency and drug-taking.

An American study had also
shown that young adults who regularly listened to heavy metal had a
higher preoccupation with suicide and higher levels of depression than
their peers.

Deliberate self-harm and attempted suicide
were also associated with teenagers who listened to trance, techno,
heavy metal and medieval music as part of the Goth subculture, while
those who attended dance parties were much more likely than their peers
to be taking drugs.

Some genres of rap music, such as
French rap, were linked to more deviant behaviours, including theft,
violence and drug use. Teens who listened to hip-hop were usually less
troublesome, Dr Baker said. "But it's important to point out that music
doesn't cause these behaviours," she said.

"It's more a
case of teenagers who may have a mental illness or are involved in
these antisocial behaviours being drawn to certain types of music."

Michael
Bowden, a child psychiatrist and the head of medical programs at the
NSW Institute of Psychiatry, said most doctors already questioned teen
patients about their influences, whether from their peers, the internet
or music.

"Over the years there have been concerns about
suicidal themes in some music and whenever a famous person, such as
(Nirvana singer) Kurt Cobain, kills themselves we see a copycat effect
among teenagers," he said.

"But sometimes an adolescent's
musical tastes will reveal nothing. The key to understanding any
teenager is to treat them with respect by listening to what they have
to say, rather than typecasting them according to the type of music
they listen to."

WHAT STUDIES SAY ABOUT YOUR SOUNDS:

POP: Conformists, overly responsible, role-conscious, struggling with sexuality or peer acceptance.

HEAVY METAL: Higher levels of suicidal ideation, depression, drug use, self-harm, shoplifting, vandalism, unprotected sex.

DANCE: Higher levels of drug use regardless of socio-economic background.

JAZZ/RHYTHM & BLUES: Introverted misfits, loners.

RAP: Higher levels of theft, violence, anger, street gang membership, drug use and misogyny.