The Study of 'Suicide Contagion' During Dawning Social Media Era: A Critical Review from a Network Science Perspective

Abstract

Study objectives: Our review considers how the study of “suicide contagion” will benefit from examination through the lens of Network Science, especially during this era of rapidly expanding use of electronic social media. We will clarify the concept of 'contagion,' trace its historical usage and theoretical basis as related to suicide, and explore the potential leverage offered by Network Science. Methods: Publications relevant to “suicide contagion” were collected through systematic literature searches; full-texts were downloaded. References cited as explaining or demonstrating “suicide contagion” also were included in the review. We used citation network analysis to identify key papers for in-depth review. Critical review was performed to identify research gaps and propose potential utility of Network Science and social media studies. Results: Many studies invoked “suicide contagion” without clearly defining what was meant. Among those where the denotation was more apparent, “contagion” has been used principally in two fashions. One referred to the pattern of suicidal behaviors, reflecting a temporally associated (most often local) increase in deaths – also labeled a “suicide cluster.” The other referred to the mechanism that was postulated to explain local clusters or an upsurge of deaths following media coverage of a suicide – suggesting that these were imitation or “copycat” suicides. The theoretical root of suicide contagion can be traced to studies of biological or social contagions. The former is based on the germ theory and motivated by disease control and prevention, whereas the latter more often is motivated by promoting new ideas, products, or healthy behaviors. Studies of both biological and social contagions are increasingly adapting Network Science perspectives and models into their research designs. However, we found no study that has examined empirically whether suicide contagion fits any biological or social network model. Online social media can provide essential data to investigate the transmission of suicide-related knowledge, information, attitudes, affects, and behaviors in complex social networks, with a flexible range from aggregated level to individual level. Conclusion: It is essential for researchers to precisely define “contagion” as the first step when investigating its relevance to suicide. Network Science and social media studies both offer promising approaches for exploring this important phenomenon.