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The Effect of the September 11 Terrorist Attacks on Suicide and Deliberate Self‐Harm: A Time Trend Study
Author(s) -
de Lange Aart W.,
Neeleman Jan
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
suicide and life‐threatening behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.544
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1943-278X
pISSN - 0363-0234
DOI - 10.1521/suli.34.4.439.53744
Subject(s) - suicide rates , harm , terrorism , suicidal behavior , suicide prevention , psychology , psychiatry , poison control , injury prevention , medical emergency , criminology , medicine , social psychology , political science , law
Suicide rates may be affected by world news. Our objective was to investigate the possible impact of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, on suicidal behavior in the Netherlands. There was evidence of an increase in rates of suicide and deliberate self‐harm in the weeks immediately following the attacks. These findings contrast with Durkheim's (1897) original suggestion that suicide rates decline in times of war and outside threat but are in line with findings of increases in suicidal behavior after media coverage of lethal violence.