Is Suicide in Teens Contagious?

A study from the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) found teens who knew a classmate who committed suicide were more likely to consider the attempt themselves, reports CNN. The CMAJ surveyed 22,000 Canadian students aged 12-17 and discovered that preteens and teens were at a heightened risk of considering suicide if they knew of a classmate who committed the act, even if they were not personally acquainted with the victim.

The study revealed the youngest age group exposed to a death had the strongest feelings toward suicide:

"Researchers found 12 to 13-year-old children were at greatest risk and were five times more likely to have suicidal thoughts than teens who had not been exposed to a death.  According to the study, 7.5% of these children attempted suicide after a fellow student did, compared to 1.7% of adolescents in this age group who did not have a schoolmate attempt suicide." Read more.

Suicide remains the third-leading cause of death among young people aged 10-24. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at (800) 273-TALK (8255).