The Epidemic of Suicides
Many epidemics are known as the transmitting of diseases related to physical health such as the flu, smallpox, and AIDS. These are all due to people being susceptible to such diseases, and the contagious attribute of such illnesses. However, there exists evidence that even mental illnesses can be contagious, and people are very susceptible to it. According to journalist Margot Sanger-Katz for the New York Times, suicide is known as a contagion that can spread and affect people and those around them. Yet, the means by which suicide spreads are different from typical diseases; media coverage, influence from people in proximity, innate or developed mental illnesses, and depression can provoke suicidal thoughts in individuals.
The suicide epidemic can be modeled by the SIR model, where many people are susceptible, and those who are “infected” are completely removed if they follow through on the act of suicide. However, many times it is very difficult to tell if someone is “infected” due to the nature of the “disease”. Many people tend to keep to themselves, hiding their feelings and putting on a fake appearance in public. There have been efforts taken and preventative measures initiated to “cure” and “vaccinate” people, including hotlines and counseling services, yet with so many influences and ways of transmitting such emotions and feelings, it becomes very difficult to combat such an epidemic.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/14/upshot/the-science-behind-suicide-contagion.html