James Wiley
@jamescwiley.bsky.social
Statistician | Independent researcher | interests include evolutionary biology, suicide, psychology, and philosophy of science. Opinions expressed are my own.
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5049-573X
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5049-573X
Pinned
James Wiley
@jamescwiley.bsky.social
· May 2
OSF
osf.io
1/7 PREPRINT UPDATE – I’ve overhauled my paper looking at correlations between suicide rates and death rates, examining Stengel’s theory that suicide becomes rarer when the value of life within a society diminishes, when death is common. #suicidology
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
The COVID natural experiment suggests something very different. Suicide rates increase with declining death rates coming out of the flu season. When death rates are disrupted, suicide rates are also disrupted:
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
September 30, 2025 at 11:36 PM
The COVID natural experiment suggests something very different. Suicide rates increase with declining death rates coming out of the flu season. When death rates are disrupted, suicide rates are also disrupted:
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Higher suicide rates often coincide with longer life expectancy. On their own, they are not necessarily a sign of societal decline. For instance, the drop in suicide rates during COVID does not imply that the pandemic was a time of joy or prosperity.
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
September 4, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Higher suicide rates often coincide with longer life expectancy. On their own, they are not necessarily a sign of societal decline. For instance, the drop in suicide rates during COVID does not imply that the pandemic was a time of joy or prosperity.
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
The NYT article is well balanced. Even researchers who examine the sensitive issue of direct causation in suicide would find too little here to justify placing blame on any single factor. It’s an interesting case, but I don’t expect the lawsuit to be successful.
Adam Raine, 16, died from suicide in April after months on ChatGPT discussing plans to end his life. His parents have filed the first known case against OpenAI for wrongful death.
Overwhelming at times to work on this story, but here it is. My latest on AI chatbots: www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/t...
Overwhelming at times to work on this story, but here it is. My latest on AI chatbots: www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/t...
A Teen Was Suicidal. ChatGPT Was the Friend He Confided In.
www.nytimes.com
August 26, 2025 at 9:00 PM
The NYT article is well balanced. Even researchers who examine the sensitive issue of direct causation in suicide would find too little here to justify placing blame on any single factor. It’s an interesting case, but I don’t expect the lawsuit to be successful.
Imagine the IRL version of this. AI body cam on a SWAT officer assesses threat level of a target in a split second and has the officer kill the target before the officer could ever react.
youtu.be/9alJwQG-Wbk?...
youtu.be/9alJwQG-Wbk?...
August 12, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Imagine the IRL version of this. AI body cam on a SWAT officer assesses threat level of a target in a split second and has the officer kill the target before the officer could ever react.
youtu.be/9alJwQG-Wbk?...
youtu.be/9alJwQG-Wbk?...
The problem may be worse than it looks. Higher mortality rates suppress suicide rates—likely because deaths from other causes preclude later suicides. Rural areas have higher mortality. So how much higher are suicide rates there, after adjusting for this?
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
According to researchers, suicides are a “persistent public health crisis,” compounded in rural areas by a number of socio-economic and healthcare access issues. Effective solutions will have to be tailored to specific communities.
Research: Suicide Rates Remain Higher in Rural Areas
A new study has found that suicide rates in rural communities continues to be higher than those in urban areas, largely due to challenges with accessing mental health resources. Rural residents face more challenges than just access when it comes to mental health, according to the research led by a team at East Tennessee State University. The research shows that rural residents are hit with a triple whammy – challenges to access, stigma and high risk jobs – that leads to higher suicide rates.
dailyyonder.com
July 7, 2025 at 12:51 PM
The problem may be worse than it looks. Higher mortality rates suppress suicide rates—likely because deaths from other causes preclude later suicides. Rural areas have higher mortality. So how much higher are suicide rates there, after adjusting for this?
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Reposted by James Wiley
🌟New publication!🌟
Feasibility and Acceptability of a Brief Intervention for Youth Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Pediatric Primary Care Providers
It was great to be part of the team on this project. I’m excited about continuing this work! @cmpinciotti.bsky.social
#suicideprevention
Feasibility and Acceptability of a Brief Intervention for Youth Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Pediatric Primary Care Providers
It was great to be part of the team on this project. I’m excited about continuing this work! @cmpinciotti.bsky.social
#suicideprevention
July 2, 2025 at 9:56 PM
🌟New publication!🌟
Feasibility and Acceptability of a Brief Intervention for Youth Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Pediatric Primary Care Providers
It was great to be part of the team on this project. I’m excited about continuing this work! @cmpinciotti.bsky.social
#suicideprevention
Feasibility and Acceptability of a Brief Intervention for Youth Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Pediatric Primary Care Providers
It was great to be part of the team on this project. I’m excited about continuing this work! @cmpinciotti.bsky.social
#suicideprevention
Reposted by James Wiley
Almost exactly one year after starting my lab (!), I'm thrilled to share our first preprint! 🥳 @leilyb.bsky.social @sharinahamm.bsky.social @francesghart.bsky.social
We propose future directions for mathematical, computational, & digital methods to advance suicide research: osf.io/preprints/ps...
We propose future directions for mathematical, computational, & digital methods to advance suicide research: osf.io/preprints/ps...
July 2, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Almost exactly one year after starting my lab (!), I'm thrilled to share our first preprint! 🥳 @leilyb.bsky.social @sharinahamm.bsky.social @francesghart.bsky.social
We propose future directions for mathematical, computational, & digital methods to advance suicide research: osf.io/preprints/ps...
We propose future directions for mathematical, computational, & digital methods to advance suicide research: osf.io/preprints/ps...
I totally broke a ChatGPT guardrail today:
July 1, 2025 at 2:16 AM
I totally broke a ChatGPT guardrail today:
Reposted by James Wiley
A new piece in @psypost.bsky.social on our recent study published in Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology. Check it out!
https://www.psypost.org/fathers-with-more-dominant-looking-faces-are-more-likely-to-have-sons/
t.co
June 23, 2025 at 6:10 PM
A new piece in @psypost.bsky.social on our recent study published in Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology. Check it out!
Reposted by James Wiley
This feels a bit like when your child does something amazing and you feel like you want to take the credit but can't really. My new book Alchemy: An Illustrated History has arrived, and it looks *gorgeous*.
June 18, 2025 at 9:00 PM
This feels a bit like when your child does something amazing and you feel like you want to take the credit but can't really. My new book Alchemy: An Illustrated History has arrived, and it looks *gorgeous*.
Reposted by James Wiley
This is amazing. 🪶
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Bird feeders have caused a dramatic evolution of California hummingbirds
Beaks have grown longer and larger, and ranges have expanded to follow the feeders
www.science.org
June 19, 2025 at 4:52 AM
This is amazing. 🪶
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by James Wiley
It’s kinda wild how psychologists will just keep developing “paradigms” targeting estimands that are less and less plausibly empirically identified, because somehow that’s the epitome of rigorous theorizing (tm)
@shuhbillskee.bsky.social, Niklas Johannes & I finally submitted our critique of a "new paradigm" in social media effects research for peer-review at Meta-Psychology. If you're interested in reviewing, please submit a review to [email protected] or e.g. prereview.org, or reply here.
May 29, 2025 at 10:36 AM
It’s kinda wild how psychologists will just keep developing “paradigms” targeting estimands that are less and less plausibly empirically identified, because somehow that’s the epitome of rigorous theorizing (tm)
Can I list Coffee as a co-author?
May 27, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Can I list Coffee as a co-author?
1/7 PREPRINT UPDATE – I’ve overhauled my paper looking at correlations between suicide rates and death rates, examining Stengel’s theory that suicide becomes rarer when the value of life within a society diminishes, when death is common. #suicidology
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
OSF
osf.io
May 2, 2025 at 12:26 PM
1/7 PREPRINT UPDATE – I’ve overhauled my paper looking at correlations between suicide rates and death rates, examining Stengel’s theory that suicide becomes rarer when the value of life within a society diminishes, when death is common. #suicidology
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Reposted by James Wiley
A multi-model relationship detection method to assist with naïve exploration of high-dimensional data: Wiley, James Christopher; English, Simon; Church, Kinsey; Ward, Richard A; Flowers, James; Chamoun, Céline
NEP/RePEc link
to paper
d.repec.org
April 1, 2025 at 3:45 AM
A multi-model relationship detection method to assist with naïve exploration of high-dimensional data: Wiley, James Christopher; English, Simon; Church, Kinsey; Ward, Richard A; Flowers, James; Chamoun, Céline
Reposted by James Wiley
Suicide Cultures and the Sociology of Suicide, University of Edinburgh 6-7th May 2025
blogs.ed.ac.uk/suicide-cult...
Sociologically inclined + working on suicide? You can apply to hang out with @annamueller.bsky.social + @sethabrutyn.bsky.social and the #suicidecultures team for 2 days
blogs.ed.ac.uk/suicide-cult...
Sociologically inclined + working on suicide? You can apply to hang out with @annamueller.bsky.social + @sethabrutyn.bsky.social and the #suicidecultures team for 2 days
Call for papers and participation: Suicide Cultures and the Sociology of Suicide (6th-7th of May 2025) – Suicide Cultures: Reimagining Suicide Research
blogs.ed.ac.uk
January 27, 2025 at 11:42 AM
Suicide Cultures and the Sociology of Suicide, University of Edinburgh 6-7th May 2025
blogs.ed.ac.uk/suicide-cult...
Sociologically inclined + working on suicide? You can apply to hang out with @annamueller.bsky.social + @sethabrutyn.bsky.social and the #suicidecultures team for 2 days
blogs.ed.ac.uk/suicide-cult...
Sociologically inclined + working on suicide? You can apply to hang out with @annamueller.bsky.social + @sethabrutyn.bsky.social and the #suicidecultures team for 2 days
Reposted by James Wiley
On January 14, 2025, the CDC released an easy to use dashboard for mapping injury, overdose and violent death (homicide, suicide), in the USA. You can sort by state, county, census tract. GREAT RESOURCE for local grants! Hope new admin doesn't shut it down. Please share. #SuicidePrevention #SWTech
Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence Dashboard
Explore local, state, and national data on deaths from drug overdose, suicide, and homicide.
www.cdc.gov
January 21, 2025 at 5:56 PM
On January 14, 2025, the CDC released an easy to use dashboard for mapping injury, overdose and violent death (homicide, suicide), in the USA. You can sort by state, county, census tract. GREAT RESOURCE for local grants! Hope new admin doesn't shut it down. Please share. #SuicidePrevention #SWTech
Reposted by James Wiley
Suicide risk is double in people with chronic pain. What can be done to reduce this risk?
In our EJP paper, we found mental defeat a significant predictor of future suicide risk in people with chronic pain
🧪Open access: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
In our EJP paper, we found mental defeat a significant predictor of future suicide risk in people with chronic pain
🧪Open access: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
January 15, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Suicide risk is double in people with chronic pain. What can be done to reduce this risk?
In our EJP paper, we found mental defeat a significant predictor of future suicide risk in people with chronic pain
🧪Open access: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
In our EJP paper, we found mental defeat a significant predictor of future suicide risk in people with chronic pain
🧪Open access: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Reposted by James Wiley
New to Bluesky! I am a #suicidologist and Assistant Professor #Psychology. I am interested in understanding why people die by #suicide and #criticalsuicidology.
January 8, 2025 at 1:38 AM
New to Bluesky! I am a #suicidologist and Assistant Professor #Psychology. I am interested in understanding why people die by #suicide and #criticalsuicidology.
Reposted by James Wiley
Academic pressure and stigma intensify youth mental health challenges. @annamueller.bsky.social & @sethabrutyn.bsky.social's work reminds us that systemic solutions, not just individual interventions, are needed to support young people. #SuicidePrevention #Sociology #SocialWork
Social Roots of Youth Suicide: Interview with Anna Mueller, PhD
socialworkpodcast.blogspot.com
January 5, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Academic pressure and stigma intensify youth mental health challenges. @annamueller.bsky.social & @sethabrutyn.bsky.social's work reminds us that systemic solutions, not just individual interventions, are needed to support young people. #SuicidePrevention #Sociology #SocialWork
Christianity stigmatizes suicide and sexual deviance. Ive argued that stigma is a flexible deterrent that can be applied to any behavior. I have no specific interest in religion, but I do believe it is the indirect causal driver here and that a wealth of research supports this
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
January 4, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Christianity stigmatizes suicide and sexual deviance. Ive argued that stigma is a flexible deterrent that can be applied to any behavior. I have no specific interest in religion, but I do believe it is the indirect causal driver here and that a wealth of research supports this
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Easy solution, just don't apply for funding.
Researchers spend approximately 45% of their time on administrative activities related to #grants rather than actual #research. The current #competition in research #funding has significant drawbacks; evidence-based improvements of the funding system are required: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
The costs of competition in distributing scarce research funds | PNAS
Research funding systems fundamentally influence how science operates. This paper
aims to analyze the allocation of competitive research funding fr...
www.pnas.org
January 3, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Easy solution, just don't apply for funding.
Reposted by James Wiley
This was the follow up to the essay on classical theory being a dead-end. At this point, I began rethinking the logic of theory at the grad level. It is impossible. Is it a survey of the field? A specialization that requires knowing certain debates?
#sociology
sethabrutyn.com/2020/01/08/w...
#sociology
sethabrutyn.com/2020/01/08/w...
What Is the Point of Sociological Theory?
This morning, I will be embarking on graduate contemporary theory for the eighth time in my career. Every year, it has evolved – sometimes quite significantly – making me the guy who wo…
sethabrutyn.com
January 3, 2025 at 6:02 PM
This was the follow up to the essay on classical theory being a dead-end. At this point, I began rethinking the logic of theory at the grad level. It is impossible. Is it a survey of the field? A specialization that requires knowing certain debates?
#sociology
sethabrutyn.com/2020/01/08/w...
#sociology
sethabrutyn.com/2020/01/08/w...
1. Preprint update: presenting new data analysis supporting Stengel’s hypothesis that suicide rates decline when societal value of life decreases, such as during periods of higher mortality.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...
December 15, 2024 at 4:16 PM
1. Preprint update: presenting new data analysis supporting Stengel’s hypothesis that suicide rates decline when societal value of life decreases, such as during periods of higher mortality.
osf.io/preprints/ps...
osf.io/preprints/ps...