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Youth who identify as goth may be more at risk for depression, self-harm

Analysis of a longitudinal, community-based cohort indicated more young people who identified with goth subculture met criteria for clinical depression and self-harm than those who did not identify with the subculture.

“Previous research has suggested that deliberate self-harm is associated with contemporary goth subculture in young people; however, whether this association is confounded by characteristics of young people, their families, and their circumstances is unclear,” Lucy Bowes, PhD, of Oxford University, and colleagues wrote.

To determine if self-identification as goth is associated with clinical depression onset and self-harm in early adulthood, researchers analyzed data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Study participants reported if they identified as goth at age 15 years. Depressive mood and self-harm were assessed at age 15 years with the Development and Wellbeing Assessment questionnaire and at age 18 years with the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised.

Overall, 5,357 participants had data available for goth self-identification and of these, 3,694 had data for depression and self-harm outcomes at age 18 years.

Six percent of the 1,841 adolescents who did not identify as goth met criteria for depression, compared with 18% of the 154 adolescents who identified as goth.

Self-harm was more common among adolescents who identified as goth vs. those who did not identify as goth (37% vs. 10%).

Adolescents who somewhat identified as goth were 1.6 times more likely (unadjusted OR = 1.63; 95% CI, 1.14-2.34; P < .001) and those who identified as goth were 3 times more likely (OR = 3.67; 95% CI, 2.33-4.79; P < .001) to have scores in the clinical range for depression at age 18 years, compared with those who did not identify as goth.

Researchers found similar findings for self-harm.

“Bowes and colleagues’ findings hold important implications for clinical practice. Clinicians working with adolescents showing an interest in goth subculture and displaying signs of goth identification should be aware of the increased risk of depression and self-harm in later adolescence,” Rory C. O’Connor, PhD, of the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and Gwendolyn Portzky, PhD, of Ghent University, Belgium, wrote in an accompanying editorial. “Further monitoring and assessment of self-harm risk is recommended for these young people. It is, however, important to determine whether adolescents identifying with goth subculture seek professional help for emotional problems and whether they have different help-seeking attitudes compared with adolescents who identify with other cultures.” – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.