After a suicide attempt among their social networks, young people are more at risk

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-08-25 01:00

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***This media release contains information some readers may find distressing as it refers to data about mental health, suicide and self-harm. If you or anyone you know needs help, support is available now. Call Lifeline (Aus) on 131 114 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, or Lifeline (NZ) on 0800 543 354. ***

Teens and young people who have experienced a suicide attempt within their social network are at a higher risk of attempting suicide themselves, according to an international study. The researchers used data from a series of surveys of US young people ages 13-22 over a two-year period, looking at how a suicide attempt in the participants' on and offline social networks influenced their odds of depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. They say after taking depressive symptoms into account, young people who'd been exposed to a suicide attempt were 2.43 times more likely to attempt suicide over the course of the study. Exposure to a suicide attempt was also linked to higher depressive symptoms over time, but not the onset of suicidal thoughts, the researchers add.