Study: Celebrity suicides cause a surge of suicides among Americans

Over the past week in the US, two high-profile suicides occurred. At first, American designer Kate Spade was found dead in her Manhattan apartment. Then, in a hotel room in France, American chef and CNN host Anthony Bourdain were found dead, writes CNN.

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Mental health experts believe that several celebrity suicides can cause a surge of suicide among ordinary Americans.

Suicide infection is a process where suicide of one or several people can provoke similar behavior among other people, especially among those who already have suicidal thoughts.

“If they are already struggling with thoughts of depression or risk of suicide, then they are trying to get information about how other people experience it. Especially when you see highly accomplished people who are successful and they commit suicide, it can create a feeling of hopelessness,” explained John Ackerman, suicide prevention coordinator at the Center for Suicide Prevention and Research in Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

According to a study published in PLOS ONE magazine, in 2014, after the death of actor Robin Williams, the number of suicides increased by 9,85%. Four months after his death, more people committed suicide on 1. 841 people more than the average in the United States over the same period.

The researchers analyzed data on suicides from 1999 to 2015 a year, and then compared the averages before and after Williams's death.

“In the case of Robin Williams, we saw a 10% increase in deaths due to suicide, especially among middle-aged men. That's why we're concerned about celebrity suicides because when there's a lot of attention paid to a particular case, people are more likely to identify with that person too,” Ackerman said.

Suicide infection also spreads in schools, military units or among friends and family members.

“Once a suicide or suicidal behavior occurs in the family, the risk of similar behavior among peers may increase, but it can be minimized due to the fact that mental health professionals work with peers, family members, and colleagues,” - emphasized the US Department of Health and Human Services.

According to the World Health Organization, 800 thousands of people die every year worldwide because of suicide, or 1 people die every 40 seconds. In 2015, more than 78% of such cases occurred in low-income countries.

In the United States, suicide rates increased significantly in 44 states from 1999 to 2016 a year. State 25 suicide rate increased by 30% for the same period.

In 2016, almost 45 thousands of people in the United States died as a result of suicide. More than half of the dead did not suffer from mental disorders.

Suicides rarely occur “unexpectedly”, there are risk factors such as a family history of suicide, a history of child abuse, previous suicide attempts, a history of mental disorders, the presence of alcoholism or substance abuse, feelings of hopelessness, and others.

According to Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, professor of psychiatry at the Vegelos College of Medicine at Columbia University, there are four types of disorders that are likely to lead to suicide: bipolar, depressive and psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia and PTSD.

Recall 5 Jun died in New York American designer Kate Spade - the creator of the eponymous brand of bags, clothes and accessories. According to police, 55-year-old Spade was found dead in the bedroom of her apartment in Manhattan; a scarf tied to a doorknob was wrapped around her neck. The head of the investigation department of the New York police said that at the moment the main version of the death of Spade - suicide.

8 Jun committed suicide by an American chef, author and CNN presenter, 61-year-old Anthony Burden. He was found dead in a hotel room in France, where he worked on the next season of the program “Unknown Parts” (Parts Unknown).

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