Year: 1986 Source: Social Biology, v.33, no.3-4, (Fall-Winter 1986), p.291-300 SIEC No: 19871623

An epidemic model of suicides clustered in time & space is presented. In this model suicides are depicted as an infection that can be spread from person to person. The model is based on the assumption that spread of suicide ideation via various means of communication increases as the number of suicides increases. A threshold condition for an epidemic to begin and the total size of an epidemic can be calculated. The model is applied to several previous suicide episodes.