Suicidal thoughts spiked after 3 beloved celebrities’ deaths: study

The suicides of Robin Williams in 2014 and Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain in 2018 led to an increase in suicidal thoughts and behaviors among the public, a disturbing new report from Columbia University finds.

Columbia researchers developed a computer model that estimated the amount of suicidal ideation and the number of suicides stemming from these three celebrity deaths. The model takes into account the number of weekly calls to the 988 suicide and crisis line and nationwide suicide data.

Columbia researchers determined that there was a thousand-fold increase in the likelihood that a person would begin thinking about suicide after Williams’ death at age 63.

The sharp rise in suicidal ideation led to an increase in calls to the 988 Lifeline. The number of “excessive suicides” nearly doubled after Williams’ death, according to the Columbia study, which cited media attention and the public’s connection to the beloved comedian for the increase.

The deaths of Spade and Bourdain — which occurred three days apart in June 2018 — had a smaller effect on the public, by about half.

“The model we developed shows how the contagion of suicide, including suicidal ideation and death, spreads quickly after the suicide deaths of celebrities whose lives and work are well-known and likely to be meaningful to a large portion of the population. ,” explained study co-author Jeffrey Shaman. Interim Dean of the Columbia School of Climate.

In 2014 and 2018, the spike in the suicide rate lasted about two weeks before returning to baseline levels.

The study’s findings, published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, provide a framework for quantifying the suicide crisis to better understand, prevent and stem its spread.

While suicidal behavior is often the result of a combination of factors, research has found that exposure to suicidality can trigger this behavior among vulnerable individuals.

Shaman developed models to track the spread of influenza and COVID-19. The Columbia team used a similar structure to model suicide, treating ideation and behavior as a contagious system. They tracked the number of people capable of spreading the disease and the number of people susceptible to “infection”.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the suicide rate rose 37% between 2000 and 2018 and fell 5% between 2018 and 2020 before peaking in 2021.

Meanwhile, Columbia researchers hope to create a better model that provides immediate estimates of suicide risk.

This system would require 988 Lifeline’s call volume and suicide data to be available in real time.

Alternative models would simulate responses among specific communities and take into account media and public health efforts.

“Ultimately, our goal is to work toward a point where a contagious suicide model can inform a rapid response geared toward suicide prevention,” said study co-author Katherine Keyes, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia.

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Helpline at 988.