In this episode of Unravelling, Mary interviews Anna Mueller, a sociologist and leading expert on youth suicide and prevention. Anna’s groundbreaking work examines the social roots of suicide and how these underlying factors create vulnerability in young people. Drawing from her fieldwork and new book, Life under Pressure: The Social Roots of Youth Suicide and What to Do About Them, she sheds light on suicide clusters and the social contagion of suicide. Challenging the common view of suicide as an individual issue, Anna emphasizes the importance of understanding the societal pressures that impact young people. She discusses how certain communities, with rigid cultural norms, create an environment where deviation from perfection is met with shame—putting youth at greater risk.

Links

• Learn more about Anna Mueller: Anna S Mueller, PhD | Luther Dana Waterman Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Indiana University
• Find her book here: Life under Pressure - Anna S. Mueller; Seth Abrutyn - Oxford University Press (oup.com)
• In honor of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, Oxford University Press is offering the first chapter of the book for free by clicking here: https://academic.oup.com/book/56082/chapter/442692773...
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention https://afsp.org/
• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988 to talk to someone confidentially, available 24/7/365 https://988lifeline.org/