Adolescent Suicide and Suicide Contagion in Three Secondary Schools

This study investigated crisis intervention in three secondary schools after the suicides of 5 students, focusing on the relation between crisis intervention & suicide contagion. The contagion hypothesis was supported. Following a suicide, the number of suicides that occurred in secondary schools in one year were markedly increased beyond chance. No new suicides took place at schools where adequate first talk-throughs & psychological debriefing were conducted by a mental health professional. Implications are discussed. (24 refs)