Goth teenagers at greater risk of self-harm

The likelihood of self-harm and depression is higher among teenagers who identify very strongly with being a Goth, research has found.

At age 15, these teens are three times more likely to be clinically depressed and five times more likely to self-harm at age 18 than young people who do not identify with the Goth subculture, according to the study, published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Although the researchers found that some other subcultures were also associated with adult depression and self-harm, including “skaters” and “loners”, the association was strongest for Goths. Young people who self-identified as “sporty” were least likely to have depression or self-harm at age 18.