DOES INFORMATION THAT A SUICIDE VICTIM WAS PSYCHIATRICALLY DISTURBED REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF CONTAGION

For example, psychological disturbance is stigmatizing, so knowledge t hat the suicide victim was psychiatrically disturbed may decrease the possibility that others will imitate the act. To assess this possibili ty, 306 undergraduate volunteers read a fictitious newspaper article a bout a 16-year-old high school sophomore, Pat, who committed suicide. There were 7 variations of the article, 4 containing negative circumst ances (psychiatric disturbance, romantic relationship breakup, parents ' divorce, alcohol problems), and 2 containing positive circumstances (being a varsity athlete, being an honors student). A control group re ceived no information about circumstances. Knowledge of Pat's life cir cumstances had no effect on respondents' estimates of the possibility of the suicide being imitated, but did affect attitudes about the suic idal act itself and attitudes toward Pat's family. Apparently the circ umstances surrounding the suicide have no affect on respondents' estim ates of themselves following suit, but do affect how they see the vict im and bereaved family.