What is meant by “suicide contagion” or “copy-cat” suicide?
These words describe a process by which exposure to suicide or suicidal behavior of one or more persons influences others who are already troubled and thinking about it to attempt and/or die by suicide. Sensationalized and repetitive media coverage of suicide has been associated with a statistically significant excess of suicide particularly among adolescents. Several well publicized “suicide clusters” have occurred. While there is no precise definition of a ‘cluster,’ it is fair to say that it needs to be considered when more suicides than would be statistically expected happen within a particular geographic area within a given time frame. The individuals who die may or may not have known each other, but somehow they may identify with each other. Often there are similarities in the manner of death. While one person’s death is not the cause of another’s, there may be shared vulnerabilities.
