High Rates of Attempted Suicide and Self-Harm among Self-Identified Goth Youth in Scotland

Investigators from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, surveyed 19-year-olds to determine the relationship between identification with the Goth subculture and self-harm and suicide attempts. Study participants were subjects in a longitudinal, population-based health and sociological survey in western Scotland, enrolled at age 11 years from 43 mainstream secondary schools, and resurveyed at ages 13, 15, and 19.¹ At age 19, participants were asked about lifetime suicide attempts and self-harm. In a separate section, they were asked about past and present identification with 14 different youth subcultures, including Goth, using a 5-point scale to determine how …