Year: 1987 Source: Annual Meeting of the American Association of Suicidology, (20th: 1987: San Francisco), p.460-461 SIEC No: 19880915

This is a summarized study of the imitation effect resulting from the fictional train suicide of a 19 year old male student in a German TV serial, broadcast in 1987 & in 1982. Results support the imitation hypothesis e.g. a comparison of 2 overlapping time periods surrounding the broadcasts with the same periods in the control years revealed a clear increase in the suicide rates for ages 15-29. For males in the 15-19 age group the effect was more apparent. (GW)