A standard query that has puzzled researchers for a few years is whether or not suicide is “contagious”. At face worth, this will look like an odd concept – suicidality shouldn’t be one thing that may be “caught” in the identical manner as a bodily sickness. Nonetheless, on this context, researchers are referring to “social contagion”, the place publicity to others’ suicidal ideas and behaviours could affect one’s personal.
Earlier analysis (Maple et al., 2017) has confirmed such a relationship exists, notably in younger folks (Insel et al., 2008), nonetheless thus far there was no quantitative synthesis of this relationship. This meta-analysis due to this fact aimed to analyze “the hyperlinks between publicity to suicidal ideas and behaviours in a single’s nonfamilial social setting and one’s personal suicidality, for each youth and adults” (Gavan et al., 2026, p. 2).
This evaluate asks: if a pal is combating suicidal ideas and behaviours, are you extra prone to wrestle with the identical issues?
Strategies
The authors used a complete search technique that concerned trying to find related literature throughout six databases. Peer-reviewed, observational research have been included in the event that they i) explored people uncovered to any suicidal ideas or behaviours of their social setting and ii) included a management group. Importantly, research have been excluded in the event that they included solely; i) familial publicity to suicide ii) media publicity to suicide or iii) self-harm outcomes.
All levels of screening and knowledge extraction have been accomplished independently by two authors. Danger of bias was additionally independently assessed utilizing the Nationwide Institutes of Well being high quality evaluation instruments for case-control, and cohort and cross-sectional research.
The authors performed a three-level random-effects meta-analysis to account for dependency amongst a number of impact sizes reported throughout the similar examine. The authors additionally explored three major moderators; 1) which suicidal ideas and behaviours people have been uncovered to, 2) which suicidality outcomes they reported and three) relational proximity.
Outcomes
After screening, 65 publications from 59 impartial samples have been included within the evaluate, reporting on 153 impact sizes from a complete of 1,055,483 individuals. Research have been primarily performed within the US and the UK and have been largely cross-sectional. Solely 7 research have been rated pretty much as good high quality; 21 have been rated as poor and 27 as honest high quality.
Foremost findings have been as follows:
- Publicity to suicidal ideas and behaviours was related to a 2.77 fold enhance in a single’s odds of experiencing suicidality.
- Relational proximity was a transparent moderator of this relationship – publicity amongst associates was related to the most important enhance in threat (OR 3.22, 95% CI 2.73 to three.79, p < .0001), adopted by friends (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.49 to three.29, p = .0008). Nonetheless, there was no important enhance in suicide threat when people have been uncovered to suicidal ideas and behaviours in acquaintances.
- The energy of the affiliation didn’t considerably differ primarily based on whether or not the person was uncovered to demise by suicide, suicide try, suicidal ideas, ‘suicidality’ or self-harm.
- Publicity to suicidal ideas or behaviours was related to elevated threat of suicidal ideas, plans, makes an attempt, self-harm and ‘suicidality’, however was not related to a better threat of demise by suicide.
- Research rated as ‘honest’ or ‘poor’ in high quality produced equally elevated odds to research rated ‘good’ high quality.
- Associations have been strongest in adolescents, adopted by adults then younger adults.
These uncovered to suicidal ideas and behaviours of their associates have been greater than twice as prone to expertise suicidal ideas and behaviours themselves.
Conclusions
This examine discovered a big, and sturdy, relationship between publicity to suicidal ideas and behaviours amongst friends, and one’s personal suicidal ideas and behavior. The authors conclude that:
suicidality is transmissible, not solely amongst members of the family… but in addition amongst shut associates and friends.
Gavan et al., 2026, (p. 7)
This meta-analysis concludes that suicidality is transmissible between shut associates and friends, notably in adolescents.
Strengths and limitations
This can be a well-conducted systematic evaluate and meta-analysis that clearly adheres to PRISMA tips (Moher et al., 2010). It solutions a priceless query by synthesising an necessary and valued physique of labor. It will have been good to see some lived expertise involvement all through the examine – typically I worry that epidemiological or affiliation kind analysis in suicide prevention analysis dangers undermining or downplaying the extraordinarily troublesome actuality of getting lived expertise of suicidality, both private or via bereavement.
I’m curious in regards to the authors’ choice to focus solely on friends and associates. While I recognize the argument about not with the ability to separate social contagion from hereditary components in familial relationships, this looks like extra cause to synthesise and examine these questions, reasonably than to exclude this literature altogether. Admittedly, this is able to possible be a complete different examine in itself, however nonetheless, I hope any individual synthesises this deserving literature. Past this, it appears myopic to counsel that associates and friends are the one relationships that exist exterior of familial relationships. What in regards to the affect of publicity to suicidal ideas and behaviours in a romantic companion? Or in a piece colleague? Given this examine’s findings on proximal relationship being a key moderator of the connection, I might think about there are necessary findings available right here, notably within the context of romantic relationships.
I’m additionally interested in what the analysis exhibits about publicity to suicidal ideas and behaviours and outcomes in addition to suicidal ideas and behaviours. I do know this examine is about contagion particularly, however talking from expertise of supporting a companion via suicide, I can testify that though I could not have ‘caught’ suicidality myself, I certain as hell skilled different impacts to my psychological well being. This, in itself, is definitely additionally a threat issue for suicidal ideas and behaviours?
Lastly, as is nearly at all times the case in systematic opinions, the standard of this evaluate is hindered by the standard of the analysis itself being synthesised. It’s disappointing to see such a poor high quality of analysis on this space, and I can’t assist however wonder if we will even take something significant from these findings because of this. Certainly, what’s actuality?….
Although well-conducted, this evaluate may benefit from an injection of lived expertise to stability these stark numbers with some humanity.
Implications for apply
So, we all know that publicity to suicide elevates threat – however so what? If the takeaway is that lowering suicide will in flip cut back publicity and downstream threat, this feels considerably round. Stopping suicide is already the purpose, no matter this mechanism.
For me, I feel the scientific implications are possible extra to do with the best way through which we restrict or reply to publicity. In some settings there are methods that this may be managed – as an example there’s work below manner that goals to help younger folks at college bereaved by suicide, with the exact purpose of stopping suicide clusters or contagion (Williams, Wexler & Mueller, 2024). However what about in adults, the place it’s more durable to restrict the publicity or ameliorate the consequences of the publicity? How will we break the cycle then?
I’m conscious of the cautions raised by the authors, notably their suggestion that confiding in associates about suicidal ideas could, in some circumstances, enhance suicide threat. Nonetheless, I’m hesitant to endorse suggestions that would discourage people from in search of help from friends, on condition that friendships are a well-established supply of help for these experiencing psychological well being difficulties, and certainly are sometimes cited as a protecting issue in opposition to suicidality (Pastor et al., 2025).
This brings to thoughts the #chatsafe tips (Catchpole, 2020; Robinson et al., 2023), which emphasise secure communication about suicide amongst younger folks on-line. Extending this precept, there could also be worth in creating broader steerage – past social media and past younger folks – on how you can speak about suicide in ways in which help people whereas minimising potential hurt to others.
If suicide is contagious, then how will we restrict the adversarial results of suicide publicity? Steerage on how you can focus on suicide safely appears warranted.
Assertion of pursuits
Laura Hemming has no conflicts of curiosity to reveal. AI was used for modifying functions and to generate a title for this weblog.
Hyperlinks
Major paper
Gavan, L., van der Spek, N., Bergers, N., Breedvelt, J. J., Hellegers, F., Bosmans, G., & Bockting, C. (2026). Is suicidality contagious? The social transmission of suicidal ideas and behaviors: A scientific evaluate and meta-analysis. Complete Psychiatry, 152691.
Different references
Catchpole Z. #chatsafe: serving to younger folks talk safely on-line about suicide. The Psychological Elf, 6 Might 2020.
Insel, B. J., & Gould, M. S. (2008). Affect of modeling on adolescent suicidal habits. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 31(2), 293-316.
Maple, M., Cerel, J., Sanford, R., Pearce, T., & Jordan, J. (2017). Is publicity to suicide past kin related to threat for suicidal habits? A scientific evaluate of the proof. Suicide and Life‐Threatening Habits, 47(4), 461-474.
Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., & Prisma Group. (2010). Most popular reporting objects for systematic opinions and meta-analyses: the PRISMA assertion. Worldwide journal of surgical procedure, 8(5), 336-341.
Pastor, Y., Pérez-Torres, V., Angulo-Brunet, A., Nebot-Garcia, J. E., & Gallardo-Nieto, E. (2025). Faculty, household, and peer connectedness as protecting components for melancholy and suicide threat in Spanish adolescents. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1547759.
Robinson, J., Thorn, P., McKay, S., Hemming, L., Battersby-Coulter, R., Cooper, C., … & La Sala, L. (2023). # chatsafe 2.0. up to date tips to help younger folks to speak safely on-line about self-harm and suicide: A Delphi professional consensus examine. PLoS One, 18(8), e0289494.
Williams, D. Y., Wexler, L., & Mueller, A. S. (2022). Suicide postvention in colleges: What proof helps our present nationwide suggestions?. Faculty social work journal, 46(2), 23-69.
