The reason for all this? Kenny says it’s because pop stars do not receive nearly enough support in order to cope with the lifestyle that they are not yet emotionally mature enough to deal with. “The pop music ‘scene’ fails to provide boundaries and to model and expect acceptable behavior,” Kenny says in the report. “It actually does the reverse–it valorizes outrageous behavior.”

Drugs, alcohol, and suicide may be the ultimate cause of death for many pop musicians, but the root of the problem runs much deeper. The music industry, according to Kenny, needs to put support systems in place so that distress can be recognized in young musicians. “The pop music scene,” she said, “is toxic and needs rehabilitation.”