Case Report | Case Rep J. 2017;1(1):004 | Open Access

The Marilyn Monroe Group and the Werther Effect

Mary V Seeman

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Abstract

Background: Emotional support is important after a tragedy but, in inexperienced hands, good intentions can go wrong.
Aim: To illustrate this point with the case of the “Marilyn Monroe group” convened in 1962.
Case Study: A short-lived inpatient group on a women’s ward, intended to support patients grieving after the suicide of Marilyn Monroe, resulted in three suicide attempts, one very serious. All the patients thankfully survived, and important lessons were learned.
Conclusion: Bringing vulnerable people together to discuss a celebrity suicide can unintentionally glamorize the incident and lead to copycat events.

Keywords: Suicide; Group therapy; Werther effect

Citation: Seeman MV. The Marilyn Monroe Group and the Werther Effect. Case Rep J. 2017;1(1):004