By Saad Shafi (Mental Health Advocate; Contributor at JWGTherapy.com) & Dr. Hasan Jackson (Mental Health Advocate; Lead Scientist at JWGTherapy.com)
When a suicide occurs in our community, often it can cause us to reflect on our own current mental health. Sometimes these reflections can be tougher in light of a tragic event. In a community, the ideal response is to have trauma counselors easily accessible to help family and friends cope with the tragedy. A common misconception is that trauma counseling is needed only for those with a single degree of separation from the tragedy: immediate family, extended family and close friends. This idea, however, undermines the reality that accompanies tragedy. Given the social nature of our communities and society, the larger community group requires access to mental health services as well. We believe that it is critical in this time when suicide has become more prevalent within our community that we challenge this perception. We will address this false perception by explaining how a suicide affects a community as a whole, and that counteracting the bystander damage of a suicide is important in preventing more suicides from happening.
Suicidal ideations have shown to be contagious within a society. The review paper “The Contagion of Suicidal Behavior” by Madelyn Gould and Alison M. Lake outlines the studies that have tracked these behaviors and the steps that can be taken to prevent them from causing harm. The key points of this review show us that the risk of suicide increases as the news of a suicide spreads in a community. Several risk factors are at play here; for example, copycat suicide attempts and severe depression and anxiety that increase ideations of suicide or self-harm. Additionally, suicidal tendencies also increase in individuals who have similar life stressors as the individual who committed suicide. An example would be an act of suicide committed by an associate/friend that shared my gender (e.g. male), profession (e.g. college student), age (e.g. early 20s), religion (e.g. Islam), and cultural identity (second generation immigrant). News coverage of the suicide victim, and their similarity to my background, would increase my likelihood of having suicidal ideations (Cutler et al., 2001).
Given the uptick in suicide ideations that occur after a suicide event, it is important to seek counseling after a traumatic event, even if it seems like you are far removed from it. Preemptive measures have been proven effective in combating the spread of suicidal ideations in a community. Screening for suicide risk after an event can help us find individuals who might be at increased risk for suicide and allow for early intervention (Poijula et al., 2001; Hacker et al., 2008). The more thoroughly a community addresses a suicide, the better it becomes at preventing another one from happening.
So, if you are given the chance to go to counseling following a tragedy like suicide, please take that session. Reflect on your own mental health, even if you aren’t feeling particularly depressed at the moment. Like any other illness, it is better to get help before you need it rather than later. Remember you are not alone in your struggle.
Jackson Wellness Group (JWGTherapy.com) provides mental health services for youth, adults, individuals and groups. We provide in-person and online confidential sessions which seek to promote long term wellness. Schedule a session now!