Understanding Suicidal Groups of Young People

Preventing suicide is a high priority social policy in Europe and Worldwide, and an important task for social workers in all sectors. A strong connection has been demonstrated between an episode of self-harm, repeated... [ view full abstract ]

Preventing suicide is a high priority social policy in Europe and Worldwide, and an important task for social workers in all sectors. A strong connection has been demonstrated between an episode of self-harm, repeated self-harm and completed suicide: a self-harm episode increases the risks of suicide by up to 100 fold (Kendall et al 2011). Rates of self-harm appear to be increasing for young people, amidst world-wide concerns about group suicidal behaviour. Though they have devastating effects on individuals, families, communities and professionals, little is known about the causes of group suicidal behaviour, how it spreads and how to effectively intervene (Haw et al 2013). Social media is widely thought to be playing an important role in these groups and their perceived increase (Daine et al 2013)
Group suicidal behaviour is extremely difficult to study. Statistical methods have been used to identify increases in suicides in time and place (Jones et al 2013), though to access the meanings and patterns in groups, qualitative methods, including interviews with young people are now recommended (Haw et al 2013). This paper draws on a first-phase study of two suicidal groups (in UK and USA). Both came to awareness in practice settings, and a qualitative, practice-near approach is taken to explore dynamics in the groups and characteristics of young people involved.
The paper will discuss emerging hypotheses; mapping psychosocial vulnerabilities of young people involved; their communication patterns (both face-to-face and on-line); complex roles held by group members, including helping prevent suicidal behaviour as well as promoting it. Professionals’ intensely distressing experiences will be described; their overwhelming sense of exclusion from young people’s ‘secret’ networks.
The paper concludes by exploring implications for practice and future research; this approach holds promise for making sense of young people’s group suicidal behaviour and thus contributing to preventing suicides.