How Many People Are Exposed to Suicide? Not Six

Julie Cerel; Margaret M Brown; Myfanwy Maple; Michael Singleton; Judy van de Venne; Melinda Moore; Chris Flaherty

doi:10.1111/sltb.12450

How Many People Are Exposed to Suicide? Not Six

Julie Cerel, Margaret M Brown, Myfanwy Maple, Michael Singleton, Judy van de Venne, Melinda Moore, Chris Flaherty

Social Work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

362 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

It has long been stated that six people are left behind following every suicide. Despite a lack of empirical evidence, this has been extensively cited for over 30 years. Using data from a random-digit dial survey, a more accurate number of people exposed to each suicide is calculated. A sample of 1,736 adults included 812 lifetime suicide-exposed respondents who reported age and number of exposures. Each suicide resulted in 135 people exposed (knew the person). Each suicide affects a large circle of people, who may be in need of clinician services or support following exposure.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	529-534
Journal	Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior
Volume	49
Issue number	2
Early online date	7 Mar 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12450
Publication status	Published - Apr 2019

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

Medical and Health Sciences

Access to Document

10.1111/sltb.12450

https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/26548

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title = "How Many People Are Exposed to Suicide? Not Six",

abstract = "It has long been stated that six people are left behind following every suicide. Despite a lack of empirical evidence, this has been extensively cited for over 30 years. Using data from a random-digit dial survey, a more accurate number of people exposed to each suicide is calculated. A sample of 1,736 adults included 812 lifetime suicide-exposed respondents who reported age and number of exposures. Each suicide resulted in 135 people exposed (knew the person). Each suicide affects a large circle of people, who may be in need of clinician services or support following exposure.",

keywords = "Medical and Health Sciences",

author = "Julie Cerel and Brown, \{Margaret M\} and Myfanwy Maple and Michael Singleton and \{van de Venne\}, Judy and Melinda Moore and Chris Flaherty",

year = "2019",

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doi = "10.1111/sltb.12450",

language = "English",

volume = "49",

pages = "529--534",

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issn = "0363-0234",

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T1 - How Many People Are Exposed to Suicide? Not Six

AU - Cerel, Julie

AU - Brown, Margaret M

AU - Maple, Myfanwy

AU - Singleton, Michael

AU - van de Venne, Judy

AU - Moore, Melinda

AU - Flaherty, Chris

PY - 2019/4

Y1 - 2019/4

N2 - It has long been stated that six people are left behind following every suicide. Despite a lack of empirical evidence, this has been extensively cited for over 30 years. Using data from a random-digit dial survey, a more accurate number of people exposed to each suicide is calculated. A sample of 1,736 adults included 812 lifetime suicide-exposed respondents who reported age and number of exposures. Each suicide resulted in 135 people exposed (knew the person). Each suicide affects a large circle of people, who may be in need of clinician services or support following exposure.

AB - It has long been stated that six people are left behind following every suicide. Despite a lack of empirical evidence, this has been extensively cited for over 30 years. Using data from a random-digit dial survey, a more accurate number of people exposed to each suicide is calculated. A sample of 1,736 adults included 812 lifetime suicide-exposed respondents who reported age and number of exposures. Each suicide resulted in 135 people exposed (knew the person). Each suicide affects a large circle of people, who may be in need of clinician services or support following exposure.

KW - Medical and Health Sciences

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85043332789

U2 - 10.1111/sltb.12450

DO - 10.1111/sltb.12450

M3 - Article

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JO - Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior

JF - Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior

IS - 2

ER -

How Many People Are Exposed to Suicide? Not Six

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

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