An estimated 49.5% of American adolescents have had a mental illness at some point in their life (HHS Office of Population Affairs). Mental states, moods, emotions, and feelings are fragile and malleable: they switch at a moment's notice. However, it is not normal for a person’s emotions to start controlling their daily life — hindering their schoolwork, friendships, etc. This defines a mental health disorder. Surveys point out that teenage mental health issues are at an all-time high (NAMI). Despite the decrease in the stigma surrounding the topic of mental health, many teenagers struggle to address and treat their mental illnesses. As an art form, pop music has always been about teenagers who believe that artists “talk” to them in their songs. Music floods the ears and surrounds the mind. It can energize someone as they do sports or help them unwind after a long day. It can be a love potion. It can be a hug. It can be a language. Musicians use their work as a means to an end to talk about a variety of topics, from equality and social justice to love. The work of musicians can aid in the relief of illness symptoms: artists like Linkin Park's Chester Bennington, Billie Eilish, and Citizen Soldier's Jake Segura speak openly about their struggles with their disorders in both real life and verse. Modern pop music provides a platform for teenagers to learn about mental health issues, helping to reduce the stigma associated with teen depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphia, as shown in Linkin Park’s “Crawling,” Billie Eilish's “idontwannabeyouanymore,” and Citizen Soldier’s “Never Ending Nightmare.”
Today, self-harm, specifically suicide, is a common cause of death for adolescent girls and boys aged 15–19 (Adolescent Mental Health Statistics). They are the 3rd and 4th most common causes, respectively. Despite an increase in mental health awareness, "the average delay between [the] onset of mental illness symptoms and [its] treatment is 11 years" (NAMI). People are hesitant to seek professional help because of the stigma and fear of being judged (Never Be Ashamed of Seeking Help). Furthermore, suicidal thoughts were reported by 42% of LGBTQ teens and 52% of LGBTQ teens who identified as trans or nonbinary (NAMI). A subset of this group is particularly vulnerable: roughly half of AAPI trans adolescents aged 13 to 24 have seriously considered suicide (Factora). Those marginalized by society tend to have more frequent thoughts about suicide. Being categorized as "other" can lead to belittling and bullying, which can be an environmental reason that leads to taking one's life. It is clear that being a minority and being labeled as “the other” makes one more vulnerable to depression and suicidal ideation.
Ninety percent of people who commit suicide have shown symptoms of a mental health condition, "further indicating the seriousness of the issue” (NAMI). When the general population hears about suicide, they associate suicide with depression. While this may be true in some cases, there are plenty of other factors that can contribute to the matter. Chronic pain, being recently released from prison, and other factors are all listed by the National Institute of Mental Health as risk factors for suicide (NIMH). Psychologist and mental health counselor Dr. Samantha Dawson notes that although "people say that you’re always supposed to be happy, you're supposed to feel a range of emotions. Feeling sad is normal. Feeling stressed is normal. It’s when it crosses into depression that it becomes problematic. And this only happens when it impairs daily functioning" (Dawson). The stereotype is that people are typically vulnerable, powerless, and depressed when they commit suicide. For example, the NCBI revealed that suicides are commonly traced back to psychiatric diseases, namely depression, substance abuse, or psychosis (Brådvik). Thus, there is an aspect of mental health that is not shown to the public eye.
Historically, people who suffer from these "mental disorders" have been mocked and ridiculed. With the stigma and the limited knowledge of mental health, people have been belittled, including many famous personalities. Kurt Cobain, born in 1967, had a happy childhood up until his parents’ divorce in 1976 (Augustyn). As a result of the emotional pain, he became troubled and angry. He ended up moving between a variety of houses as a teenager, including those of his relatives and friends (Augustyn). He also started his teenage rebellion phase by sleeping under bridges and partaking in vandalism (Augustyn). Kurt’s life as an artist affected him deeply. The combination of his drug use and mentally and emotionally taxing past, coupled with his public position, accumulated stress. As he experienced heroin withdrawal, he was stuck in his bed, unable to do much else. Eventually, Cobain’s struggles overtook him, and he took his own life (Azerrad). Cobain’s life and actions showcase the raw truth of being an artist — it is difficult and taxing.
To learn more, please download this file, which has the original article that I wrote, which was a shortened version of an essay I wrote for my capstone History-English paper at the end of my 10th grade year here.
Works Cited