Contagion Theory Of Suicide

There are also numerous causes why older people have higher rates of suicide. It is important that people know what they are so they can observe it and prevent suicides better. These reasons include normlessness, longer lifespans, and the fact that baby boomer generations have higher chances of committing suicide. One of the major reasons is that older generations are less likely to deal with mental illness. The movement towards acceptance of mental illness as a legitimate sickness is still very new. Older people might still think it is taboo and still a sign of weakness. Hence, they do not get treated for it if they fail to seek help. Older people have higher risks of getting depression because of factors related to aging such as chronic illness …show more content…
This theory explains that behaviors “spread in social networks in a quantifiable and discernable pattern that depends on the nature of social ties” (Christakis & Fowler, 2013, 572). This means that certain factors in the environment increase the effects of stressors in older people. In other words, they are more likely to commit suicide if they are hearing about other people doing it or even considering it. It also does not help that depression has a way of altering your decision-making process. Social media also plays a role in contagion theory because it is now easier to influence people through its accessibility (Karge & Ferraro, 2011). Contagion suicide also lead to copycat suicides. Perceptions of risk in the environment work as amplifiers to people who share even a hint of the same …show more content…
Humankind has a relatively longer lifespan due to decreasing child mortality rates and improved life quality. Over 50 years ago, a person in the United States can live up to 69.8 years on average (Roser, 2014). Fast forward to today, life expectancy is at an all-time high at 78.8 years old (Copel, 2014). This may sound like a good thing, but there are a lot of burdens that go with it as well. One bad thing about it is that old people feel inclined to stay in unhappy marriages due to familiarity. Also, their careers are at stake because not only is their retirement age pushed back, but they are also left to compete with younger people who are willing to work for less. This also means that they are more likely to outlive their life savings which can lead to financial turmoil. Finally, a longer lifespan means that there are higher chances that you will outlive your spouse or partner. This is why double suicides became a growing trend in elderlies. Double suicides are defined as “the decision of two people to die together, usually between a husband and wife, other types of couples, or two friends” (Karge & Ferraro, 2011, 130). In fact, this type of suicide is even romanticized in mainstream media which does not help the