system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Does increased exposure of suicides lead to more suicides?
gpt
There is evidence that suicides tend to occur in "clusters"-- both via the media (mass clusters) and in local incidents (point clusters). However, the evidence for these clusters are mixed, sometimes showing that exposure to suicide increases rates of suicide and sometimes not. Additionally, the reason that these clusters occur is not well understood, as suicide cannot be experimentally manipulated and is inherently difficult to study. There are several theories as to why these clusters occur.

Social contagion is one theory, wherein the exposure to suicide transfers the urge to carry out suicide similar to the transference of a disease. However, "suicide contagion" is a vague term that does not identify specific mechanisms by which exposure influences suicide-- it merely describes the observation that exposure increases rates. Some scientists have described suicide contagion as an imitation of suicidal behaviors, though this is not a very powerful theory, as it does not help to determine who is susceptible to the social contagion effect.

Another possibility is that publicized suicides may increase the awareness of an effective method for suicide. Indeed, studies have shown that, following publicized suicides using a specific method, the rate of suicides committed with that method increases. Exposure to suicide may also increase the risk for suicide by decreasing inhibitions on suicidal behavior, or increasing the idea that suicide can solve problems.

On the other hand, there is some evidence that exposure to suicide can be protective against suicide. Suicidality is known to run in families, and yet point clusters of suicide within families are extremely rare. This seems counterintuitive, since the suicide of a family member is extremely traumatic and distressing (which is a risk factor for suicide), and the theory of contagion suggests that it would increase suicidality. However, the suicide of a family member likely brings the family together to grieve, and social support is a very strong protective factor against suicide. In addition, some research examining media reports on suicide and rates of suicide has shown that exposure to these reports is protective against suicide for individuals ages 25-44. 

To really understand this phenomenon, it is important to understand the factors that contribute to suicidality in general. The leading theory on risk for suicide is the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide. This describes that suicide risk is influenced mainly by three factors: Thwarted belongingness (feeling lonely, isolated, rejected), Perceived Burdensomeness (feeling like you are a burden to others, that it would be better if you were not around), and Acquired Capability (development of the ability to overcome the innate, intense fear of pain and death).

Suicide is NOT easy to commit and, despite common belief, is almost never an act of impulse. Most who successfully complete suicide have been suffering for a considerable amount of time (likely from a psychiatric disorder) and who have been contemplating suicide for a long time. So, suicide contagion may increase the likelihood of suicide for individuals who are already at risk, but it is extremely unlikely that it would cause suicide in someone who is not already at relatively high risk.

Sources:

Joiner, J. E. (1999). The Clustering and Contagion of Suicide. Current Directions In Psychological Science (Wiley-Blackwell), 8(3), 89.

Joiner, T.E. (2005). Why people die by suicide. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Romer, D., Jamieson, P. E., & Jamieson, K. H. (2006). Are news reports of suicide contagious? A stringent test in six US cities. Journal of Communication, 56(2), 253-270.