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Joiner's (2005) interpersonal-psychological theory of serious suicidal behavior asserts that the need to belong (Baumeister & Leary, 1995) is so powerful that, when satisfied, it can prevent suicide. We investigate the hypothesis that perceived membership in a valued group as well as interactions with group members result in sports-related “pulling together” that may meet the need to belong. We found that local suicide rates correlated with final national rankings of local college football teams; fewer suicides occurred on the day of the “Miracle on Ice” than on any other February 22; and fewer suicides occurred on recent Super Bowl Sundays compared to non-Super Bowl Sundays. Implications for models of suicidality as well as clinical utility are discussed.
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Joiner et al. (2006) studied this question.
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