Year: 1992 Source: Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, v.22, no.3, (Fall 1992), p.350-363 SIEC No: 19920485

The authors report on an epidemic of 6 inpatient suicides in a psychiatric hospital in Finland. Suggestion & identification had an effect on the timing as well as on the method of 4 of the suicides. The epidemic is viewed from individual, network, & organizational perspectives. The authors speculate on how such epidemics could be avoided. An increase in inpatient suicide rates has been reported in many countries, & the Werther effect may thus become an important topic in psychiatric hospitals.