Knowing someone who attempted suicide raises young people’s own risk – new study

Michelle Tye, UNSW

Scientists have long known suicide can be “contagious” in young people. This means knowing someone who has attempted suicide makes teens and young adults more likely to develop suicidal thoughts and behaviours themselves.

But despite decades of research, it has not been clear precisely how this works.

A new study of more than 2,000 young people, done by a US research group and published today, offers some new insights.

What we already knew

Suicidal thoughts and behaviours typically first emerge during adolescence and young adulthood. This is also when peer relationships take on increasing importance in young people’s lives.

And we know the risk of suicide is strongly linked to this peer influence during adolescence. Research shows the suicidal behaviours of individuals within a close network can lead to their peers also developing suicidal thoughts and behaviours.

This risk of suicide contagion is higher for teenagers and young adults, compared with later in life.

Read more: What’s the difference between intrusive thoughts and suicidal thoughts?

However, it has not been clear how suicidal behaviour spreads through young people’s social networks. For example, researchers have suggested it could be linked to copycat effects, group conformity or belonging, or because peers share other factors linked to higher suicide risk, such as financial instability or living remotely.

The researchers noted that previous research about suicide contagion in young people was mostly done before digital networks took on such a central role in their social lives. And most research has only looked at suicide exposure at a single point in time. So it hasn’t been clear how much it may shape risk over time.

Read more: What to say and how to help if someone close to you has attempted suicide

What the study did and what it found

The new study wanted to see whether being exposed to peers’ suicidal behaviours increased young people’s risk of suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts and depression. It looked at social networks of close friends both online and in-person.

The researchers drew on data from 2,098 young people aged 13–22 years and followed up with them after one year and two years.

They only included participants who had no known history of suicide attempts when the study began. But of these, 35% knew someone who had attempted suicide in the previous year.

The study found those exposed to a suicide attempt were significantly more likely to attempt suicide themselves in the two years following exposure. They were also more likely to develop more severe symptoms of depression. Both these findings confirmed existing research.

When researchers controlled for depressive symptoms, participants’ still had a higher risk of attempting suicide. This confirms and adds to past research which has being exposed to suicide increases suicide risk, independently of mental health factors.

Interestingly, having larger sized in-person networks appeared to protect young people against developing severe depression after being exposed to a suicide attempt. But larger online social networks had the opposite effect.

How significant are these results?

The findings largely support what the science already shows: being exposed to suicide attempts directly shapes young people’s risk, beyond underlying mental health.

This means suicide is a social problem, not just an individual one.

And it means we need to offer support to the wider social network when a young person attempts suicide.

The longer-term link between someone’s exposure and their own attempt suggests young people in the wider social circle should be monitored for risk in the months and years after the exposure – not just in the immediate aftermath.

We should also carefully consider the finding that supportive in-person relationships may build resilience after a suicide attempt – and that online networks may elevate risk. This suggests that the type and quality of the connection matters, not just whether someone is socially connected.

There were also limitations

This study relied on participants self-reporting both their exposure to a suicide attempt and their own risk. This raises the possibility of recall bias.

And as an observational study, it can show a link between exposure and suicide risk, but not determine whether one causes the other.

There were other important limitations.

Exposure to a suicide attempt was not limited to the social network – it could be anyone known to the participant.

The researchers did not collect any information about the nature of relationships between people in the social networks, only their size and whether they were online or in-person. This limits the conclusions we can make about how social networks influence suicide risk, and who is most at risk within them.

For example, the data cannot tell us whether risk is higher if the person who attempted suicide was a close friend, compared to an acquaintance. And it can’t say whether directly witnessing the suicide attempt carries a greater risk than learning about it in other ways.

What this means for you

Most young people exposed to suicide will never attempt it themselves.

But schools and families should respond proactively.

A first step for parents, carers or other trusted adults is simply to acknowledge what has happened. Have open discussions about how it may have affected the young person and any concerns they may have about others in their network.

Young people often just want you be there and to listen without judgement, rather than problem-solving.

Importantly, if you’re worried a young person is thinking about or planning suicide, you should ask them directly. Research shows this does not increase suicide risk, and may reduce it.

Speaking to your GP or visiting a trusted source such as ReachOut is a useful first step.

If you’re worried your teen is in immediate danger – for example, if they have a plan and intend to act on it – call 000 and ask for an ambulance or take them to your nearest emergency department.

If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can also call 13YARN on 13 92 76.

The Suicide Call Back Service is a free nationwide service providing 24/7 phone and online counselling to people affected by suicide. Call or visit their website.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.