Made people laugh and die

– Suicide rates in the US spiked almost 10% after the death in 2014 of actor Robin Williams, pictured, and rose even more among men and those who ended their lives, like Williams, by suffocation, according to a study published on Wednesday.

The study, published in the scientific journal PLOS One, found that in the five months, from August to December 2014, 18 690 deaths by suicide were recorded. This was an increase of 9.85% from the expected number of cases for the period.

Williams, the Oscar-winning star of Good Morning, Vietnam, who was loved for his humour, died in August 2014 at age 63 in a suicide that shocked fans worldwide. Authorities said he died of asphyxia after hanging himself at his home. An autopsy found that Williams was suffering from Lewy body dementia, which causes progressive decline in mental ability.

Suicides following Williams’ death rose by 12.9% in men aged 30 to 44 and there was a 32% increase in deaths from suffocation. Although the study could not prove a definitive link, it said there appeared to be a connection.

Extensive media coverage of Williams’ death “might have proved the necessary stimulus for high-risk segments of the US population [such as middle-aged men in despair] to move from suicidal ideation to attempt”.

While widely reported, celebrity suicides have previously been linked to increases in the wider population. The study said media coverage of Williams’ suicide was particularly detailed.

The suicide in 1994 of Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain, for example, had a minimal impact on suicide rates, partly due to more restricted reporting, the study said. – Reuters

Los Angeles