Does Country Music Drive You to Suicide?

Maybe it could, if you don’t change the dial – assuming you don’t like it. I came across a reference to a possible link between country music and suicide the other day; it came from a publication in 1992 in the journal Social Forces. It’s an example of an ’association’ that’s clearly most unlikely to represent a cause-and-effect.

The researchers found a correlation, or mathematical linkage, between the metropolitan area suicide rate and the amount of radio airtime country music. They theorized that themes often found in country music – marital discord, alcohol abuse, alienation from work – might nurture suicidal mood. The apparent linkage was found to be independent of divorce rates, ‘southerness’, poverty, and gun availability. It must be mentioned here that re-analysis of the data by other scientists failed to find this linkage – in fact, there was a negative link!

Using the same method, one of the original researchers published a report of a link between heavy metal music exposure and suicide. Subsequent reports have shown that this, too, is a spurious association. So I guess you can listen to what you like, without fear.

Comments

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