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Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Suicide risk is associated with a variety of factors. Personal factors include childhood abuse, certain personality traits (eg, impulsiveness, aggression) , and history of mental illness. Over 90% of people who attempt suicide meet diagnostic criteria for at least one psychological disorder, and suicide risk increases as the number of co-occurring disorders increases. Diagnosis severity also matters: studies suggest that individuals are at greatest risk of attempting suicide while inpatient at or newly discharged from a psychiatric hospital.Social factors also play a role in suicide. Sociologist Émile Durkheim argued that embeddedness in society is a key feature in determining the likelihood of an individual committing suicide. Specifically, the more people that depend on an individual financially, emotionally, or physically, the less likely that individual is to commit suicide. Studies suggest that suicide is also linked to religious affiliation and income level. Religious groups that place more value on community events, church attendance, and collective solidarity tend to have lower rates of suicide among members, whereas more affluent individuals are more likely to commit suicide.Economic trends have also been linked to suicide. One study retrospectively analyzed the relationship between the U.S. economy and suicide rates. It found that the overall suicide rate tends to rise during economic recessions and drop during economic expansions (Figure 1) .
Figure 1 U.S. suicide rates compared to economic trendsFurther analysis of suicide data suggests that for every individual who successfully commits suicide, approximately 25 individuals are unsuccessful in such attempts, costing the United States billions of dollars annually in both lost wages and treatment expense. Although white, middle-aged men are the most likely cohort to successfully commit suicide, women attempt suicide three times more often than men.
-"Suicide clusters" are greater-than-average rates of suicide occurring within a short time frame. After a well-publicized initial suicide, suicide rates tend to rise, particularly among teenagers and young adults. This phenomenon can also be described as:

Question

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Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Suicide risk is associated with a variety of factors. Personal factors include childhood abuse, certain personality traits (eg, impulsiveness, aggression) , and history of mental illness. Over 90% of people who attempt suicide meet diagnostic criteria for at least one psychological disorder, and suicide risk increases as the number of co-occurring disorders increases. Diagnosis severity also matters: studies suggest that individuals are at greatest risk of attempting suicide while inpatient at or newly discharged from a psychiatric hospital.Social factors also play a role in suicide. Sociologist Émile Durkheim argued that embeddedness in society is a key feature in determining the likelihood of an individual committing suicide. Specifically, the more people that depend on an individual financially, emotionally, or physically, the less likely that individual is to commit suicide. Studies suggest that suicide is also linked to religious affiliation and income level. Religious groups that place more value on community events, church attendance, and collective solidarity tend to have lower rates of suicide among members, whereas more affluent individuals are more likely to commit suicide.Economic trends have also been linked to suicide. One study retrospectively analyzed the relationship between the U.S. economy and suicide rates. It found that the overall suicide rate tends to rise during economic recessions and drop during economic expansions (Figure 1) .

Figure 1 U.S. suicide rates compared to economic trendsFurther analysis of suicide data suggests that for every individual who successfully commits suicide, approximately 25 individuals are unsuccessful in such attempts, costing the United States billions of dollars annually in both lost wages and treatment expense. Although white, middle-aged men are the most likely cohort to successfully commit suicide, women attempt suicide three times more often than men.
-"Suicide clusters" are greater-than-average rates of suicide occurring within a short time frame. After a well-publicized initial suicide, suicide rates tend to rise, particularly among teenagers and young adults. This phenomenon can also be described as:

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A reference group is a comparison group. Individuals compare their beliefs and behaviors to those of reference group members and often model the beliefs and behaviors of the reference group. For example, after a well-publicized suicide, others who have already contemplated taking their life may consider modeling the behavior of the individual who committed suicide, notwithstanding that suicide occurs for multiple, complex reasons. Therefore, "suicide clusters" (higher-than-average rates of suicide occurring within a short time frame) may occur as a result of imitation of a reference group (ie, individuals already contemplating suicide modeling the behavior of those who have recently committed suicide). (Choice A) Groupthink occurs when groups of individuals engage in dysfunctional, dangerous, or nonsensical behavior because a desire for group cohesion outweighs critical decision-making. Groupthink explains the conscious decision-making practices that occur within a defined group, so it does not explain why suicide clusters happen. (Choice B) The mere exposure effect (or familiarity effect) argues that just the act of being exposed to something increases an individual's affinity for it. For example, the more someone hears a song, the more they will like the song. The mere exposure effect explains why people like certain things, but it cannot explain complex behavior like suicide. (Choice C) Mass hysteria (or group hysteria) occurs when fear and rumor spur similar behavior among many group members. Examples of mass hysteria generally include physical symptoms (eg, twitching, laughing) that have no apparent cause and spread within an isolated community. No examples are found of suicide caused by mass hysteria. Educational objective: Reference groups are groups to which individuals compare themselves. Individuals are more likely to adjust their attitudes and behaviors to align with those of a reference group.

Passage Suicide Is One of the Leading Causes of Death in in the United