Gloomy Sunday: did the “Hungarian Suicide Song” Really Create a Suicide Epidemic?

The effect of art on suicide risk has been a neglected topic in suicidology. This article focuses on the song “Gloomy Sunday” which historical sources suggest triggered suicides. The alleged increase in suicides in the 1930s associated with the playing of the song may be attributed to audience mood, especially the presence of a large number of depressed persons as a result of the Great Depression. The influence of music on suicide may be contingent on societal, social, & individual conditions. Further research is needed on art forms that portray suicides in order to identify the conditions under which the triggering of suicides occurs. (28 refs.)