Media Roles in Suicide Prevention: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The aim of the current systematic review was to monitor and provide an overview of the research performed about the roles of media in suicide prevention in order to find out possible effects media reporting on suicidal behaviours might have on actual suicidality (completed suicides, attempted suicides, suicidal ideation). The systematic review was performed following the principles of the PRISMA statement and includes 56 articles. Most of the studies support the idea that media reporting and suicidality are associated. However, there is a risk of reporting bias. More research is available about how irresponsible media reports can provoke suicidal behaviours (the ‘Werther effect’) and less about protective effect media can have (the ‘Papageno effect’). Strong modelling effect of media coverage on suicide is based on age and gender. Media reports are not representative of official suicide data and tend to exaggerate sensational suicides, for example dramatic and highly lethal suicide methods, which are rare in real life. Future studies have to encounter the challenges the global medium Internet will offer in terms of research methods, as it is difficult to define the circulation of news in the Internet either spatially or in time. However, online media can provide valuable innovative qualitative research material.

Suicide prevention strategies: Which one to consider?

“…6,7 Inappropriate media reporting of celebrity suicide was found to strongly associated with subsequent increase in suicidal behavior and vast studies suggest that the media coverage of suicide is associated with suicidality. 38 Moreover, media black outs and better media reports reduces suicide as evidenced by previous articles. 6 So, creating reporting guidelines and training the reporters, editors plays a vital role in suicide prevention.…”

“…5,7,8,10,13,14,23 The phenomena is called as suicide contagion that is also referred to as imitative, copycat or mass cluster suicide. 8,22,38 The effects of media on suicide found bidirectional as it is detrimental for the risky people but protective for someone who emphasize positive coping. 6,7 Inappropriate media reporting of celebrity suicide was found to strongly associated with subsequent increase in suicidal behavior and vast studies suggest that the media coverage of suicide is associated with suicidality.…”

“…6,17 Past evidence consistently revealed that improvement of media portrayal of suicide, reduces the rate of suicide. 18,38 and responsible media reporting is a recognized public health approach for suicide prevention. 38 However, media can help in reducing suicide by raising awareness, 38 reducing negative attitudes to mental disorders and suicide.…”

“…18,38 and responsible media reporting is a recognized public health approach for suicide prevention. 38 However, media can help in reducing suicide by raising awareness, 38 reducing negative attitudes to mental disorders and suicide.…”

Mental evolution: a review of Daniel Dennett’s From Bacteria to Bach and Back

“…Moreover, the focus on meme fitness provides a novel strategy for explaining the spread of pathological cultural variants. Consider, for example, the phenomenon of copycat suicide, sometimes known as the Werther effect (Sisask and Värnik, 2012). After controlling for the influence of common causes, news about one teenage suicide appears to increase the probability of subsequent teenage suicides within a given country for a period of weeks to months.…”