The research, which followed almost 1,300 young people, revealed that goths were more than twice as likely to self-harm as young people who identified themselves as punks, who ranked second. Pop and hip-hop followers were the least likely.
Researchers at the Social and Public Health Sciences Unit at Glasgow University quizzed 11-year-olds during their final year of primary school and again at 13, 15 and 19. Even after allowing for factors such as social class, parental separation, smoking, alcohol use or depression, being a goth was the strongest predictor of self-harm or a suicide attempt.
About seven to 14 per cent of the UK population self-harm, well below the 53 per cent figure for goths, whom the researchers described as: "A sub-genre of punk with a dark and sinister aesthetic, with aficionados conspicuous by their range of distinctive clothing, make-up and tastes in music."
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