New Books in Sociology Helen C. Epstein, "Why Live: An Anatomy of Suicide Epidemics" (Columbia Global Reports, 2025)
Sep 3, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Helen C. Epstein, a public health researcher and writer from Bard College, explores the unsettling phenomenon of suicide epidemics. She delves into how profound social ruptures, rather than just mental illness, trigger spikes in suicide rates across various communities. The conversation touches on the isolating effects of modernization, particularly in post-communist Russia and Micronesia, and examines the intricate connections between trauma, resilience, and community support in combating mental health crises.
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Personal Loss Sparked The Inquiry
- Epstein began this inquiry after a friend's suicide and noticing clustered suicides in her friend group.
- That personal loss led her to examine whether her friend was part of a broader suicide epidemic.
What A Suicide Epidemic Is
- Suicide epidemics are spikes in suicide rates within a specific population over a short time, not random isolated acts.
- Epstein shows they recur worldwide when social conditions abruptly change, making many people vulnerable.
Modernization As A Trigger
- Rapid modernization and economic reform often precede suicide epidemics by rupturing social norms and shared subsistence roles.
- Epstein argues this shift to cash economies creates loneliness and identity loss that raises risk across broad groups.
