Questions about individuals taking their own lives. Please follow the site guidelines on this topic: own life. [This is a sensitive topic; please follow the site guidelines: https://skeptics.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/2871/]
Questions tagged [suicide]
33 questions
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Are suicide rates higher during week-ends and holidays?
In the ever growing series of questions about time or weather dependencies of crime or other kinds of behavior, I have heard several times people pretend that the suicide (and attempted suicide) rate is higher during the week-end and the holidays,…
ogerard
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Does Apple install suicide prevention nets at their Chinese factories?
I had a discussion with a friend about the sometimes poor working conditions in China and especially the electronics market. Now what really surprised me was his statement that Apple and other companies installed "Nets to prevent suicide" around…
Jutschge
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Are one-third of teen suicides homosexuals?
The media and government officials have often claimed that the rate of teen suicide for homosexuals is vastly higher than the suicide rate of heterosexual teens. The figure they often use is that an estimated 1/3 of all teen suicides are homosexual.…
user1873
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Is there a Russian social media game called "Blue Whale" that incites self-violence and suicide?
According to the Daily Mail:
Police in Russia are investigating a rush of teenage suicide attempts amid fears that they may have been manipulated by sinister social media groups.
Two schoolgirls fell to their deaths from a building on the weekend…
Sakib Arifin
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Are discussions about suicide themselves suicide triggers?
Several online forums I've frequented have had discussions removed when suicide methods are mentioned. The reasoning have been that discussion about suicide themselves are suicide triggers. While it sounds plausible, and it's not that hard to find…
Zano
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Did Alan Turing commit suicide, or is it possible his death was an accident?
When Alan Turing died, the reason for his death was cyanide poisoning, and his death was officially ruled as a suicide. See Homosexuality, Conviction and Death
The BBC published an article in which "Turing expert Prof Jack Copeland" argues that his…
Kevin
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Are GMO crops to blame for farmer suicides in India?
Anyone who follows the genetically modified organism (GMO) debate has probably heard the claim that GMO crops, and specifically the inability to save seed and other associated production costs, have lead Indian farmers deep into debt, and a large…
Flimzy
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Can hypnosis be a contributing factor to suicide?
A Florida school district has agreed to pay $600,000 to settle a case involving a principal who hypnotized students, three of whom died shortly after (some from suicide). Many of the reports in the media include statements drawing a causative link…
ff524
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Is suicide caused by or correlated with living at high altitude?
According to the article There's a Suicide Epidemic in Utah — And One Neuroscientist Thinks He Knows Why:
... Despite ranking as America's happiest state, Utah has disproportionately high rates of suicide and associated mood disorders compared to…
Brian M. Hunt
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Did Near, a prominent emulator developer, take their own life?
A couple of weeks ago, there was news in the gaming-related media that Near, the developer of SNES emulators, has reportedly died by suicide.
However, the proof of this is an anonymous document posted by somebody who claims to be Near's real life…
Ruslan Oblov
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Have "government handouts" increased the suicide rate in Alaska?
Wikipedia's biography of Don Young, the U.S. Representative for Alaska's at-large1 congressional district, says among other things that:
When asked about the fact that the state of Alaska has the highest suicide rate in America per capita, Young…
Fizz
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Asking about suicidal thoughts won't push someone into doing it
I've seen this advice repeated on a couple of websites, e.g. Mayo Clinic:
Asking about suicidal thoughts or feelings won't push someone into doing something self-destructive. In fact, offering an opportunity to talk about feelings may reduce the…
Fizz
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Did 304 US soldiers kill themselves in 2009 compared to 149 killed in Iraq?
An image posted on reddit this week has been getting a lot of attention.
The image is of a mural claiming that in 2009, 304 US soilders committed suicide compared to 149 killed in Iraq.
What is the veracity of this claim?
Additionally what is the…
TheJulyPlot
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Does winning the lottery increase odds of committing suicide?
I've heard on a few occasions claims that one should not play the lottery because it increases the odds of committing suicide later. Here are a few articles I found that at least reference the…
dsollen
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Do higher rates of lithium in groundwater lead to a decreased suicide rate?
NyTimes: Although it seems strange that the microscopic amounts of lithium found in groundwater could have any substantial medical impact, the more scientists look for such effects, the more they seem to discover. Evidence is slowly accumulating…
Christian
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