Mind Traps

Why this myth exists? Is that because several evidences which prove only deeply depressed people committing suicide?
Actually, this myth has been formed by some reasoning errors.

1. Causation and Correlation

Lot of studies stated that there is a relationship between suicide and depression which means depression causes suicide. One point we have to clarify, correlation does not imply causation.
People tend to stress the correlation between two variables via the statistics. However, is that really a correct mean to demonstrate the causation? People tend to focus on the correlation between depression and suicide. Nevertheless, they overlook the third variable which we didn’t see in the statistics. Third variable is also important in every correlation even this is not prominent.
Here is an example beyond this myth. Sleeping with one's shoes on is strongly correlated with waking up with a headache. Therefore, sleeping with one's shoes on causes headache. But there is a more plausible explanation that both are caused by a third factor such as getting drunk which thereby gives rise to a correlation.
Let’s get back to this myth, people commit suicide probably because of the third variables like social problems, drug abuse or other mental disorders, not only deeply depressed people. People may neglect the other reasons which can also lead people to suicide.

2. Confirmation bias

People tend to favor their information toward what they have been thinking, to confirm their preconceptions. This myth is not an exception. In most of the researches which I do not recommend were doing the same thing – they have already thought people with depression always commit suicide. Therefore, they just generate the information which supports this myth like mentioning the data of depression and suicide only, and they stop doing researches as soon as they find supporting information.
In society, people tend to pay more attention on people with depression. Thus, they can see people with depression try to kill themselves, and they just take this information in. People tend to test hypotheses in a one-sided way, focusing on one possibility. People actually are easily to take in the information which is toward their existing beliefs. Since people couldn’t treat the evident impartially, this myth has formed.

3. False consensus effect

This is a tendency for people to overestimate how widely the belief is shared by others. People readily guess their own opinions, beliefs and as being more prevalent in the general public than they really are. Then, the belief spread all over the society. Myth is formed.
For example, Mozart effect is well-known because it has been widely advertised via media. One person feel like it is true and tell to his friends; afterwards, many people know it. People believe it just because there are lots of people agreeing with it. Thus, people go buy the classical music for their children in order to increase their intelligence.
Since the myth “only deeply depressed people commit suicide” is throughout the society, people think this is truth just because they all heard about it. They take it in without consideration. we can say in other words, people just follow the majority.