Learning Influences in the Methods Chosen for Suicide (IN: Suicide as a Learned Behavior, by D Lester)

Using evidence from numerous studies, it is concluded that the choice of method for suicide is affected by cultural factors. These factors are not simply a result of the availability of a particular method because the way the method is used is also shaped by the culture. The evidence thus supports a social learning theory for suicide. (16 refs.) (MM)