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When you think of heavy metalheads, peaceful meditation and content adult lives might not be the image that pops into mind. Interestingly, a longitudinal study published in 2015 might have proved that heavy metal music affects their listeners, in the long term, for the better.
When you think of heavy metalheads, peaceful meditation and content adult lives might not be the image that pops into mind. Interestingly, a longitudinal study published in 2015 might have proved that heavy metal music affects their listeners, in the long term, for the better.
"Three Decades Later: The Life Experiences and Mid-Life Functioning of 1980s Heavy Metal Groupies, Musicians, and Fans"
"Three Decades Later: The Life Experiences and Mid-Life Functioning of 1980s Heavy Metal Groupies, Musicians, and Fans"
This study consisted of 377 participants, including 154 heavy metal fans, musicians, and groupies from the 80s and 223 non-metal middle-aged and college-aged adults (for comparison). After administering multiple questionnaires and personality tests, the experimenters determined that many metal fans reported more "adverse childhood experiences" (ACEs) than the average adult, concluding that childhood trauma was relatively common among individuals in the heavy metal group. This discovery suggests that heavy metal is often a coping mechanism for listeners' personal challenges.
Heavy metal individuals did report high levels of partying, substance use and risky behavior, but they also detailed a higher youth happiness due to the sense of social belonging, emotional release, cohesive identity, and peer support provided by others in the heavy metal fandom.
Later in adulthood, heavy metal fans appeared to have adjusted better to adulthood-related challenges and have shown better resilience and fewer regrets. At this stage in life there were no significant differences in substance abuse, criminal activity, or depression as compared to adults of the same age in the non-heavy metal fan category.
In conclusion, the heavy metal culture may have provided emotional regulation, social support, identity stability, and a protection against negative developmental outcomes for its listeners and musicians. Perhaps a Deftones concert could be the next anti-depressant!
Written by: Siena
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