Alexander McQueen, award-winning British fashion designer and favorite of celebrities like Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Bjork, was found dead of a completed suicide in his London home last Thursday, just a few days before London Fashion Week.

I’ve read several articles about McQueen since Thursday, most of which dealt with announcing his death, speculating on the reason for his suicide, and discussing the devastation felt by models like Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell.

The most interesting article I’ve read, though, has so far been “It’s Despair, Not Grief, That Can Lead to Suicide” by The Observer’s Carole Cadwalladr.

From the title, you might think the article takes a look at the personal struggles that lead to a person committing suicide and, in a way, it does; however, Cadwalladr actually talks more about how publicizing, providing blanket coverage of, and “romanticizing” suicide can lead to more suicides than about grief, despair, or untreated mental illness as they’re related to suicide. She cites a 1970s study that states a front-page story about suicide led to 58 more deaths and quoting head of the Oxford Centre for Suicide Research, professor Keith Hawton, as calling the evidence “overwhelming.”

Now, don’t misunderstand: Cadwalladr doesn’t ignore the reasons people commit suicide; she just focuses more on how the various media sources should neither take it upon themselves to declare the reasons (in McQueen’s case, the popular reason seems to be grief over the recent death of his mother) nor “publicize” suicide in such a “grossly irresponsible” way to people she calls “vulnerable” (those who are dealing with the death of a loved one).

Thus far, the article’s comments are a mix of “it’s not the media’s responsibility,” “suicide is a personal choice,” and “no, the reasons for suicide can go beyond undiagnosed mental illness”-esque thoughts — not at all unlike some of the comments left under my Morrissy post and the one about whether or not we had a right to react so angrily when Kate Moss made a pro-ana comment.

What do you think? Is Cadwalladr on to something — is the media’s romanticization of suicide grossly irresponsible? (For that matter, do you think the media romanticizes such high profile suicides?) Can you see this kind of publicity as acting as another push for someone already contemplating suicide?

Or, is placing that kind of responsibility on the media — asking that they veer away from this kind of publicity — an unrealistic request? Does the suicide really always completely boil down to the individual, with absolutely no involvement from any kind of outside factors?

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J.S. Larochelle (February 15, 2010)

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    Last reviewed: 15 Feb 2010