A few days ago I was talking with a friend outside a venue about metal music and said, “It’s okay that you don’t like metal, but you have to respect the musicianship of it.” And now, I find out that metal might even be good for your mental health!
The University of South Australia recently did a study involving 28 young Australians who strongly identified with metal and participated in the metalhead community to find the mental health benefits of being a part of that community. There were four things that many of the participants had in common that helped them through even the toughest times.
Bullying
According to the study, many of the participants were bullied growing up. Metal music helped them get through those harder times by focusing on the music instead of the mental and physical pain being inflicted on them.
Relatability
The participants related to the music and felt that the lyrics helped them when they were feeling isolated. Being able to connect to the music when feeling ostracized or angry gave them an outlet for their frustrations.
Identity
Not only do the metalheads identify with the music itself, but it helps them identify others who love the music. By identifying with the music, they literally found new friends and were able to ward off the bullies that caused them mental anguish.
Community
Once they identified with the music and the people of metal, they built communities. And with those communities in place, their mental health was positively influenced. Metal isn’t just a genre of music, it’s a family that you join with members all over the world.
The next time you see a metalhead, think about not only the passion they have for their music, but the mental health benefits that they get from listening to it and the community that they’re lucky enough to be a part of.
Why do you love metal? Tell us about it on Twitter!
