Are Suicidal Behaviors Contagious in Adolescence? Using Longitudinal Data to Examine Suicide Suggestion

Abstract

Though Durkheim argued that strong social relationships protect individuals from suicide, we posit that these relationships have the potential to increase individuals’ vulnerability when they expose them to suicidality. Using three waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we evaluate whether new suicidal thoughts and attempts are in part responses to exposure to the suicide attempts of role models, specifically friends and family. We find that the suicide attempts of role models do in fact trigger new suicidal thoughts and in some cases attempts, even after significant controls are introduced. Moreover, we find that these effects fade with time, that girls are more vulnerable to them than boys, and that the relationship to the role model—for teenagers at least—matters. Friends appear to be more salient role models for both boys and girls. Our findings suggest that exposure to suicidal behaviors in significant others may teach individuals new ways to deal with emotional distress, namely by becoming suicidal. This reinforces the idea that the structure – and content – of social networks conditions their role in preventing suicidality. Specifically, social ties can be conduits of not just social support, but also anti-social behaviors, like suicidality.

The Associations Between Children's and Adolescents’ Suicidal and Self-Harming Behaviors, and Related Behaviors Within Their Social Networks: A Systematic Review

“…As was the case with the previous two sections, the majority of papers in this section (41-95.3%) reported positive associations between children's/adolescents' SSHB and that of multiple reference groups (Abrutyn & Mueller, 2014;Ali, Dwyer, & Rizzo, 2011;Bearman & Moody, 2004;Bjarnason & Thorlindsson, 1994;Borowsky, Ireland, & Resnick, 2001;Borowsky, Resnick, Ireland, & Blum, 1999;Brent, Kolko, Allan, & Brown, 1990;Chan et al, 2009;Corder, Page, & Corder, 1974;De Leo & Heller, 2004;Deliberto & Nock, 2008;Feigelman & Gorman, 2008;Fleming, Merry, Robinson, Denny, & Watson, 2007;Gex, Narring, Ferron, & Michaud, 1998;Grossman, Milligan, & Deyo, 1991;Hargus, Hawton, & Rodham, 2009;Harkavy-Friedman, Asnis, Boeck, & DiFiore, 1987;Hawton, Rodham, Evans, & Weatherall, 2002;Jegannathan & Kullgren, 2011;Laederach, Fischer, Bowen, & Ladame, 1999;Larsson & Ivarsson, 1998;Larsson & Sund, 2008;Lewinsohn, Rohde, & Seeley, 1994;Mars, Heron, Crane, et al, 2014;McMahon, Corcoran, Keeley, Perry, & Arensman, 2013;McMahon et al, 2010;Nanayakkara, Misch, Chang, & Henry, 2013;O'Connor, Rasmussen, & Hawton, 2009;O'Connor, Rasmussen, & Hawton, 2014;O'Connor, Rasmussen, Miles, & Hawton, 2009;Portzky, Audenaert, & van Heeringen, 2009;Portzky, de Wilde, & van Heeringen, 2008;Rew, Thomas, Horner, Resnick, & Beuhring, 2001;…”

“…Adolescents' SSHB was predicted by the earlier SSHB of others, and in fact friends' or family members' suicide attempts were found to be amongst the strongest predictors of adolescents' future suicide attempts (e.g., Borowsky et al, 1999;Nanayakkara et al, 2013). One study suggested that boys may be more susceptible to the influence of friends, whilst girls are susceptible to that of both family and friends (Abrutyn & Mueller, 2014).…”

Contagion from peer suicidal behavior in a representative sample of American adolescents

“…Recent research has examined the association of peer suicidal behavior and the risk of suicide attempts in adolescents, and found evidence for an increase in risk (Abrutyn and Mueller, 2014;Feigelman and Gorman, 2008;Nanayakkara et al, 2013;Swanson and Colman, 2013). However, these studies have generally adjusted for a small number of confounding factors, such as depression and substance use.…”

Adolescents in the Emergency Room: Assessing and Addressing Suicide Risk

“…These findings present conflicting evidence to Durkheim's theory of suicide from social isolation, by demonstrating that suicidal ideation in adolescents could actually result from involvement with peers who attempt suicide. Since this article also cites that adolescents are more likely to befriend other adolescents with similar levels of depression as their own (Abrutyn & Mueller, 2014) …”

“…The assumption that social involvement is always a protective factor for adolescents ignores the phenomenon of suicide contagion. One article that discusses suicide contagion in youth uses the data reported in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to investigate whether or not suicide suggestion could play a part in the development of suicidal thoughts in adolescents that had experienced a role model attempting suicide (Abrutyn & Mueller, 2014). The study found that suicide suggestion was associated with higher rates of suicidal ideation for both boys and girls, especially when the role model who attempted suicide was a friend.…”