LIFE UNDER PRESSURE

Two academics research the origins of teen suicide and its societal ramifications.

Grounding their study within the confines of pseudonymous Poplar Grove, a wealthy, predominantly white suburban American community, sociologists Mueller and Abrutyn present an erudite study on several “suicide clusters” inexplicably plaguing the region. While their initial goal was to better understand how individual community members processed suicide losses, their study eventually branched out to encompass the mechanics of youth communal environments, the dilemma of mental health stigma, and how these social forces shape adolescent suicide risk. Careful not to draw conclusions based solely on their individual perceptions, the authors’ groundwork included epistemological analysis, archival research, community observations, and psychopathology survey data. Most productive and illuminating were their intensive sociological interviews and focus groups with individuals from Poplar Grove High School, where the authors put both youth and adult participants at ease with conversational and nonjudgmental language. Mueller and Abrutyn also probe the nature of whether or not suicidal behavior is contagious, how these clusters developed and persisted into a “suicide contagion” at upscale Poplar Grove High, and the school’s response to these losses. The students’ stories are alternatingly sad and thought provoking. Mueller and Abrutyn’s conclusions settle on the patterned vulnerabilities of Poplar Grove youth, identifying as credible culprits its gossipy, tightly knit community, cultural ideals, and demanding, ingrained “high-pressure achievement culture.” Concise, accessible, and well organized, the book succeeds in offering readers from any competency level a better understanding of youth suicide and the proactive intervention strategies currently aimed at its prevention. The authors also provide an empathetic connection to those most at risk and effectively debunk a variety of myths—e.g., “talking about suicide does not cause suicide; it prevents it.”

An insightful, approachable exploration of a scourge of self-harm in an “idyllic American town.”