NewsPronto

 
Men's Weekly

.

USA Conversation

The Conversation USA

The Conversation USA

The holiday-suicide myth and the intractability of popular falsehoods

  • Written by Dan Romer, Research Director, Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania
imageJames Stewart and Donna Reed in 'It's a Wonderful Life.'Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

For years, the media have reported that more suicides occur during the holidays than at any other time.

Many of these stories, no doubt, are meant to help people cope with the melancholy and nostalgia that some people experience at this time. Some of them include...

Read more: The holiday-suicide myth and the intractability of popular falsehoods

More Articles ...

  1. Behavioral economics finally goes mainstream: 4 essential reads
  2. How the religious right shaped American politics: 6 essential reads
  3. Why 2017 was so terrible for Mexico: 9 essential reads
  4. Giving and fundraising: 4 essential reads
  5. Why 2017 was so terrible for Mexico: 8 essential reads
  6. Creating a sustainable future: 5 essential reads
  7. With science under siege in 2017, scientists regrouped and fought back: 5 essential reads
  8. From internet trolls to college dropouts: Our 6 favorite charts from 2017
  9. Is there such a thing as online privacy? 7 essential reads
  10. Migration mayhem in 2017: 9 essential reads
  11. A grim year for the smartphone: 5 essential reads
  12. Inside Venezuela's crisis: 8 essential reads
  13. Inside Venezuela's crisis: 7 essential reads
  14. How the Catholic Church’s hierarchy makes it difficult to punish sexual abusers
  15. H.G. Wells vs. George Orwell: Their debate whether science is humanity’s best hope continues today
  16. Will Americans finally start fighting back against tax cuts for the rich?
  17. Disney's potential 21st Century Fox merger continues troubling trend of media consolidation
  18. The pall that the tax package is casting over charities
  19. The pall that the tax law is casting over charities
  20. What the 'California Dream' means to indigenous peoples
  21. Better ways to foster solar innovation and save jobs
  22. Who forced the cigarette companies to run those anti-smoking ads?
  23. Sí o sí, se celebra la Navidad en Puerto Rico
  24. Puerto Ricans aren't giving up on Christmas
  25. Why parents should check twice before offering holiday sweets
  26. During the holidays, giving gifts to the dead can help you cope with grief
  27. The 2017 national security strategy: A scorecard
  28. Untrustworthy memories make it hard to shop ethically
  29. Why Americans will never agree on oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
  30. The US may be in for a tough flu season: 4 questions answered
  31. What Kwanzaa means for black Americans
  32. A former Israeli diplomat answers 5 questions about Jerusalem
  33. More businesses are trying mobile apps to lure and keep consumers
  34. Why finding new HIV targets takes so long: Some basics about basic research
  35. GOP tax plan doubles down on policies that are crushing the middle class
  36. Climate change will displace millions in coming decades. Nations should prepare now to help them
  37. Exxon Mobil's about-face on climate disclosure
  38. Market bubbles and sonic attacks: Mass hysterias will never go away
  39. The dangerous belief that white people are under attack
  40. What is a soul, anyway? Pullman's 'La Belle Sauvage' tackles the big questions
  41. Why justice is more important than the rule of law
  42. Why Trump's plan to forbid spouses of H-1B visa holders to work is a bad idea
  43. Tips from negotiation experts for truly happy holidays
  44. Skip fights about digital devices over the holidays – instead, let them bring your family together
  45. Why the Republican tax plan can help put American youths back to work
  46. The travel industry has sparked a backlash against tourists by stressing quantity over quality
  47. Black voters won Alabama for the Dems. Here's what they need in return
  48. Some new nonprofits take off, others flop – and nobody knows why
  49. An archaeological dig in Israel provides clues to how feasting became an important ritual
  50. When cringeworthy gifts are worse than inconsiderate