HomeWHICHWhich Of These Statements Best Describes A Suicide Cluster

Which Of These Statements Best Describes A Suicide Cluster

People and Place

Published investigations of suicide clusters show that there is no one place that clusters are more likely to occur. They occur in a variety of locations and settings, such as:

  • American Indian and Alaska Native communities
  • People experiencing incarceration
  • People in psychiatric inpatient facilities
  • Teenagers and young adults
  • Hospitals
  • Military institutions
  • Schools

References1,6,7

Other Risk Factors

Other risk factors for individuals involved in suicide clusters are thought to be similar to general risk factors for suicide. They may include:

  • Being assigned male at birth
  • A history of substance use, self-harm, or mental illness

References1,3

Suicide as a Contagion

Suicide clusters, especially mass clusters, might occur through a process of contagion. Suicide contagion occurs when the exposure to suicide or suicidal behavior of one or more people influences others to attempt suicide.

Exposure can be direct by having a personal connection to the person who died by suicide, or indirect through media reporting or social media posts about a person who was not a personal connection.

References1,8,9

Influence of Media

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Media influence can be both a risk and protective factor depending on how long the coverage lasts, how prominent the source is, what is being shared, and the language being used. This could include social media, news reports, and entertainment media.

Media as a Protective Factor

Media can play an important role in preventing suicide risk or deaths by following Best Practices and Recommendations for Reporting on Suicide. For example, media can:

  • Use appropriate language such as “died by suicide” instead of “committed suicide”
  • Report suicide as a public health problem and provide resources such as 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and treatment options
  • Provide information on warning signs of suicide risk
  • Engage suicide prevention or mental health experts to share facts about suicide and how to prevent it
  • Emphasize messages of help and hope
  • Educate the public about coping strategies and treatment

References1,10,11,12,13

Media as a Risk Factor

Media reporting of suicides might be a risk factor when it unintentionally influences increases in suicides, particularly when media reports do not follow best practices and include things like:

  • Dramatic or graphic headlines or images
  • Explicitly describing the suicide method or showing pictures of it
  • A statement that suicide is inevitable
  • Repeatedly reporting on the same suicide, including high-profile celebrities who may be considered models for imitation
  • Showing the site of the suicide and pictures of those who are grieving

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