Citation

Sule A, Inkster B. Forensic Sci. Int. Mind Law 2020; 1: e100008.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.fsiml.2020.100008

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Hip-hop music dominates music streaming services (www.grammy.com) and hip-hop culture has influenced many sectors (e.g., business, fashion, technology (www.apple.com)). Hip-hop is playing an increasingly relevant role in the development of innovative mental health-based practices and raising public awareness. Connections between hip-hop and mental health are being explored, for example, in psychiatry (Sule and Inkster, 2014), psychological therapies (Elligan, 2012), and as neuroscientific correlates (Liu et al., 2012). Hip-hop has opened up new conversations around mental health with hard-to-reach groups around the world, which has been driven, in part, by influential hip-hop artists themselves speaking openly about their own struggles (mymoodpath.com; www.theguardian.com). As hip-hop facilitates greater public awareness it also brings new opportunities to disseminate culturally sensitive psychoeducational resources about mental health and wellbeing (www.hiphoppsych.co.uk).

Given hip-hop's global influential presence, and its relevance to youth culture, hip-hop should continue to create innovative and culturally sensitive ways for people to access support and receive appropriate care. This is urgently needed given that mental health disorders are projected to be leading causes of 'global burden of disease' with depression predicted to be the leading cause by 2020 (Lopez and Murray, 1998).

A number of mental health disorders are related to adverse social experiences...

Language: en

Keywords

Hip hop; Mental health; Prison; Psychology; Resilience; Social justice