Expectations of contagion following suicide: Does surrounding information make a difference?

Does suicide portrayed as a deviant act by a mentally disturbed person enge nder less expectation of suicidal contagion than suicide portrayed as a pos itive act by a healthy person! In this study, 201 undergraduates read one o f eight brief vignettes about a 16-year-old ("Pat") then answered contagion and attitude scales. A 2 (Psychiatric History: Yes/No) x 2 (Behavior: Seek ing Therapy/Suicide) x 2 (Reaction: Positive/Negative) MANOVA yielded signi ficant main effects for behavior (Suicide viewed more negatively than thera py) and reaction (Suicide following a negative reaction viewed somewhat mor e negatively than suicide following a positive reaction), and a significant history by behavior interaction. When Pat had a mental illness history and sought therapy, Pat's action was rated as more necessary than when Pat had no mental illness history and sought therapy. When Pat had a mental illnes s history and committed suicide, Pat's act was rated as less immature than when Pat had no mental illness history and committed suicide. Respondents r ated others as more likely than themselves to imitate suicide, but less lik ely to imitate seeking therapy. Students apparently are sure they are invul nerable to suicidal contagion, but are neutral about others, regardless of surrounding circumstances.