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December 16, 2019
Responsible Reporting of Suicide
By Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, NIH’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Experts estimate that die by suicide every year. of these deaths occur in the United States. For many of us, these staggering statistics are underscored by the immediate, personal impact of the tragic loss of a friend, family member, or co-worker. For others, we learn of this impact through media—news articles, television shows, movies, or books that relate the story of a death by suicide.
Media portrayals of deaths by suicide can have profound impacts—both good and bad. When properly portrayed, stories about suicide and mental illnesses raise awareness of these issues, get people talking with each other, and inspire those thinking about harming themselves to get help. But media portrayals can sometimes have negative effects. Often, these portrayals can do both. For example, in the weeks and months after Robin Williams’ tragic death by suicide, —arguably a good thing, since thousands of people used these hotlines to get the help they needed. More concerning was the increase, over the same time period, in suicide attempts that used the same method as did Mr. Williams. So-called “copycat” suicide attempts illustrate the phenomenon of , which can be exacerbated by media portrayals, particularly ones that provide graphic descriptions of the attempt.
The increases in suicide rates in the U.S. and elsewhere demand that we address the problem. How then can suicide be treated constructively by the media? The good news is that there are guidelines available. The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (NAASP), a public-private partnership involving multiple Federal agencies, non-profits, and corporations, has published the , aimed at helping those in the entertainment industry responsibly “tell more balanced and authentic stories.” , a collaboration between the NAASP and additional partners, has recommendations for journalists reporting on suicide deaths. Globally, the World Health Organization has published “” and “.”
There are several core principles identified in each of these sets of recommendations. Best practices include:
- Avoiding explicit descriptions or pictures of the location or method of death;
- Not using sensationalistic headlines or language that normalizes suicide (see the );
- Contextualizing the death rather than describing suicide as inexplicable or without warning (most studies show this is rarely if ever the case);
- Reporting on suicide as a public health problem, including providing accurate information about suicide facts and suicide prevention efforts; and
- Highlighting stories of successful coping and describing .
The importance of these recommendations must not be underestimated. To underscore this point, I offer an additional example—the effects of the Netflix series, “13 Reasons Why.” Independent scientific studies revealed an increase in rates of death by suicide amongst teenagers in the months after the release of the original series. While these findings demonstrate a correlation in time, not a definitive causal relationship, they were concerning enough that Netflix, in consultation with the producers of the series, decided to edit out the explicit suicide scenes shown in the original version. This change is consistent with the recommendations of the media guidelines mentioned above.
I hope that future efforts by journalists and artists will use these recommendations proactively, creating media that helps responsibly raise awareness about suicide risk and suicide prevention, helping mental health professionals save lives.
Suicidal thoughts or actions (even in very young children) are a sign of extreme distress and should not be ignored.
If you or someone you know needs immediate help, call theat1-800-273-TALK (8255) or Crisis Text Line: text “home” to 741 741.
about ways you can help someone who might be at risk for self-harm.
References
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Niederkrotenthaler T, Stack S, Till B, Sinyor M, Pirkis J, Garcia D, Rockett IRH, Tran US. JAMA Psychiatry. 2019 May 29. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.0922. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 31141094.