New Study Shows Heavy Metal Music Helps Mental Health

A new study has showed that listening to heavy metal music can help with mental health issues. 

As ABC reports, a study published in the Journal Of Community Psychology last month concluded that "metal identities were helping participants to survive the stress of challenging environments and build strong and sustained identities and communities, thus alleviating any potential mental health issues".

Paula Rowe and Bernard Guerin from the University of South Australia conducted the research by holding talks with 28 people aged between 18-24, who identified with metal music. 

"Despite experiences of intense family situations, ostracism, bullying and loneliness, these participants all got through this period of life with little or no explicit mental health issues," the study reads.

"So, far from metal music and identity causing them mental health issues, as popular opinion would have, most survived the challenges they encountered in their young lives by utilizing metal."

A notable theme with the 28 participants included being bullied at school and that they used metal music to "keep bullies at bay".

Liam Frost-Camilleri of Victorian band, Fall & Resist, and organiser of the recent Beyond Black charity concert, said he has had many conversations with fellow musicians and fans about depression and anxiety.

"I think the reason why people with anxiety and depression tend to gravitate towards heavy metal is because of the catharsis of the emotion," Frost-Camilleri said.

"It's more about exorcising demons and less about suggesting what you should be doing."