Unravelling

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.