Media reporting and suicide: a time-series study of suicide from Clifton Suspension Bridge, UK, 1974-2007

Celebrity Suicide

Background: Increased suicides following media coverage of celebrities' suicide deaths have been documented in several countries. Recommendations for Reporting on Suicide were published to provide guidance for media professionals when covering suicide. Research indicates guidelines have been poorly followed. Aim: We aimed to determine whether the recommendations were similarly observed when studying two online news organizations' coverage of a celebrity's suicide. Method: In the 3 days following a high-profile celebrity's death, two US cable networks' news websites were studied to compare how the death was reported. Online articles were reviewed using a coding rubric organized by six themes and 21 coding categories. Results: Between the two organizations, 34 articles were published. Regarding the recommendations, neither source followed all of the recommendations, as measured in this study. Source A fared better in providing help-seeking information. Limitations: Only two news organizations were studied for a 3-day period. Online videos, print articles, and social media were excluded. Conclusion: The suicide of a celebrity received repetitive media coverage with little emphasis on prevention or help-seeking. The recommendations were not consistently followed by the two news websites included in this review.

Canadian French and English newspapers' portrayals of physicians' role and medical assistance in dying (MAiD) from 1972 to 2016: a qualitative textual analysis

OBJECTIVE

To examine how Canadian newspapers portrayed physicians' role and medical assistance in dying (MAiD).

DESIGN

Qualitative textual analysis.

SETTING

Online and print articles from Canadian French and English newspapers.

PARTICIPANTS

813 newspaper articles published from 1972 to 2016.

RESULTS

Key Canadian events defined five eras. From 1972 to 1990, newspapers portrayed physician's MAiD role as a social issue by reporting supportive public opinion polls and revealing it was already occurring in secret. From 1991 to 1995, newspapers discussed legal aspects of physicians' MAiD role including Rodriguez' Supreme Court of Canada appeal and Federal government Bills. From 1996 to 2004, journalists discussed professional aspects of physicians' MAiD role and the growing split between palliative care and physicians who supported MAiD. They also reported on court cases against Canadian physicians, Dr Kevorkian and suffering patients who could not receive MAiD. From 2005 to 2013, newspapers described political aspects including the tabling of MAiD legislation to change physicians' role. Lastly, from 2014 to 2016, newspapers again portrayed legal aspects of physicians' role as the Supreme Court of Canada was anticipated to legalise MAiD and the Québec government passed its own legislation. Remarkably, newspapers kept attention to MAiD over 44 years before it became legal. Articles generally reflected Canadians' acceptance of MAiD and physicians were typically portrayed as opposing it, but not all did.

CONCLUSIONS

Newspaper portrayals of physicians' MAiD role discussed public opinion, politicians' activities and professional and legal aspects. Portrayals followed the issue-attention cycle through three of five stages: 1) preproblem, 2) alarmed discovery and euphoric enthusiasm and 3) realising the cost of significant progress.

Suicidal behaviours among Chinese adolescents exposed to suicide attempt or death

AIMS

Suicidal behaviours in adolescents are prevalent and multifactorial. This study was conducted to examine the associations between exposure to suicide attempt (ESA) or suicide death (ESD) and suicidal behaviours in a large sample of Chinese adolescents.

METHODS

Participants included for the analysis were 11 831 adolescent students who participated in the baseline survey of the Shandong Adolescent Behavior and Health Cohort (SABHC). Participants were sampled from five middle and three high schools in three counties of Shandong province, China. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data on demographics, behavioural and emotional problems, family environment, suicidal behaviours (suicidal thought, plan and attempt), and history of ESA or death of a family member, relative, friend or close acquaintance. Based on the sources of exposure, the participants were divided into four groups: non-exposure, exposure from relatives only, exposure from friends/close acquaintances only (EFO) and exposure from both relatives and friends (ERF). Logistic regressions were used to examine the associations between ESA or ESD and suicidal behaviours.

RESULTS

Mean age of the participants was 14.97 ± 1.46 years and 50.9% were boys. Of the participants, 9.4% reported having ESA, and 6.6% reported having ESD. The prevalence rates of suicidal behaviours were significantly higher in adolescents who had been exposed to suicide attempt or death than those who had not. Multivariate logistic regressions showed that ESA and ESD were both significantly associated with increased risks of suicidal thought (ESA: OR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.66-2.31; ESD: OR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.31-1.94), plan (ESA: OR = 2.37, 95% CI = 1.84-3.05; ESD: OR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.18-2.23) and attempt (ESA: OR = 2.73, 95% CI = 1.92-3.89; ESD: OR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.18-2.82), respectively. When participants were exposed to suicide attempt, ERF and EFO groups had significantly higher risks of suicidal thought (ERF: OR = 2.61, 95% CI = 1.28-1.64; EFO: OR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.64-2.36), plan (ERF: OR = 3.72, 95% CI = 2.04-6.78; EFO: OR = 2.31, 95% CI = 1.74-3.01) and attempt (ERF: OR = 4.83, 95% CI = 2.30-10.17; EFO: OR = 2.57, 95% CI = 1.73-3.81), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

ESA or ESD was associated with increased risks of suicidal behaviours in adolescents. Exposure to suicidal behaviours of relatives and friends/close acquaintances appeared to have different influence on adolescent suicidal behaviours. Further research is warranted to examine the biological and psychosocial mechanisms between suicidal exposure and subsequent suicidal behaviours in adolescents.

Suicides by Jumping Off Istanbul Bridges Linking Asia and Europe

AIM

The aim of this study was to determine the injury spectrum and characteristics of people who committed suicide by jumping into water from the July 15th Martyrs Bridge and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridges in Istanbul, Turkey.

METHODS

This study included all of the jumpers from the July 15th Martyrs Bridge and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge who were autopsied by the Council of Forensic Medicine, Istanbul Morgue Department, between 2000 and 2013. All of the data were collected from archived case files. Trauma scores were calculated from the traumatic findings of the autopsy reports using the New Injury Severity Score (NISS).

RESULTS

A total of 80 jumping suicides were identified. The male-to-female ratio was 9:1, and the mean age was 34.06 ± 9.6 years. Most suicides occurred in 2009. The suicide rates were higher in the winter, particularly in December. The most frequent injuries were skin lesions, rib fractures, and lung lacerations. In 12% of the cases, the trauma was minor (NISS range, 0-14; mean, 7 ± 5.67), and in 88% of the cases, it was major (NISS range, 17-66; mean NISS, 44.5 ± 12.46).

CONCLUSION

The sociodemographic features of the jumpers who committed suicide were quite similar to those reported in previous studies. Preventative measures (installation of barriers or banning pedestrian access to bridges) reduced the suicide rate but were not completely effective. Establishing early warning systems and rescue strategies could save the lives of jumpers who have minor trauma.

Newspaper Reporting on a Cluster of Suicides in the UK

Abstract. Background: Media reporting may influence suicide clusters through imitation or contagion. In 2008 there was extensive national and international newspaper coverage of a cluster of suicides in young people in the Bridgend area of South Wales, UK. Aims: To explore the quantity and quality of newspaper reporting during the identified cluster. Method: Searches were conducted for articles on suicide in Bridgend for 6 months before and after the defined cluster (June 26, 2007, to September 16, 2008). Frequency, quality (using the PRINTQUAL instrument), and sensationalism were examined. Results: In all, 577 newspaper articles were identified. One in seven articles included the suicide method in the headline, 47.3% referred to earlier suicides, and 44% used phrases that guidelines suggest should be avoided. Only 13% included sources of information or advice. Conclusion: A high level of poor-quality and sensationalist reporting was found during an ongoing suicide cluster at the very time when good-quality reporting could be considered important. A broad awareness of media guidelines and expansion and adherence to press codes of practice are required by journalists to ensure ethical reporting.

Young Adults' Information Seeking Following Celebrity Suicide: Considering Involvement With the Celebrity and Emotional Distress in Health Communication Strategies

Young adults (N = 357) were surveyed following the suicide of celebrity Robin Williams to better understand how involvement with the actor and emotional responses to his death influenced searches for information concerning depression, suicide, and mental health. Emotional distress following the actor's death mediated the relationship between involvement and certain types of information searches. Most respondents sought information about the celebrity's career, suicide, and depression using portable devices such as smartphones and laptop computers to access news websites for information. Those respondents who sought information about the suicide reported changes in their thoughts about suicide, most often dealing with the difficulty in spotting warning signs and the idea that "it can happen to anyone." Findings suggest placement of health messages within existing material about celebrity announcements on online websites and social media to drive more traffic toward general informational outlets. Messages that acknowledge emotional distress might be best placed within content specific to the celebrity's tragedy, rather than specific to the celebrity's career or performances.

Assessing the Adherence to Guidelines of Media Reporting of Suicide Using a Novel Instrument--the "Risk of Imitative Suicide Scale" (RISc)

Media guidelines for reporting of suicide are considered important in suicide prevention because of the risk of "imitative" suicide. There are currently no established tools for the quantification of quality of reporting. We sought to develop and validate a quality assessment instrument-the Risk of Imitative Suicide Scale (RISc). The RISc appears capable of discriminating reliably between adherent and nonadherent articles. Our data suggest that adherence to guidelines is inconsistent, and there are major differences between web-based and print media. The RISc could be used to evaluate effectiveness and consistency of media engagement with suicide prevention strategies.

PRINTQUAL – A Measure for Assessing the Quality of Newspaper Reporting of Suicide

Background: Many studies have demonstrated a relationship between newspaper reporting of actual or fictional suicides and subsequent suicidal behaviors. Previous measures of the quality of reporting lack consistency concerning which specific elements should be included and how they should be weighted. Aims: To develop an instrument, PRINTQUAL, comprising two scales of the quality (poor and good) of newspaper reporting of suicide that can be used in future studies of reporting. Method: A first draft of the PRINTQUAL instrument was compiled, comprising items indicative of poor- and good-quality newspaper reporting based on guidelines and key sources of evidence. This was refined by team members and then circulated to a group of international experts in the field for further opinion and weighting of individual items. Results: The final instrument comprised 19 items in the poor-quality scale and four in the good-quality scale. Following training, agreement between raters was acceptably high for most items (κ ≥ .75) except for three items for which agreement was still acceptable (κ ≥ .60). Conclusion: The PRINTQUAL instrument for assessing the quality of newspaper reporting of suicide appears appropriate for use in research and monitoring in future studies.

The impact of newspaper reporting of hydrogen sulfide suicide on imitative suicide attempts in Japan

PURPOSE

An analysis model based on monthly or fortnight data is inadequate to precisely evaluate the impact of media reporting of suicide on suicide rates as well as the time lag from exposure to the report of a suicide. Thus, we used daily time-series data and examined the association between newspaper articles on suicide and suicide attempts in Japan.

METHODS

The Box-Jenkins transfer function model was applied to daily time-series data for the period March 27-May 21, 2008.

RESULTS

Newspaper articles on suicide using hydrogen sulfide at (t - 1) were related to suicide attempts at (t) (ps < 0.001 and 0.05). Newspaper articles on suicides using hydrogen sulfide on the front page at (t - 1) were related to suicide attempts at (t) (p < 0.00). The magnitude of the impact of newspaper articles about suicide at (t - 1) or (t - 3) on "copy-cat" suicide attempts became greater as the number of news articles violating the media suicide recommendations increased.

CONCLUSIONS

The time lag between exposure to newspaper reports of suicide and attempts was 1 or 3 days, and the magnitude of the impact of front page articles was about four times as great as that of suicide articles in general.

Why do we report suicides and how can we facilitate suicide prevention efforts? Perspectives of Hong Kong media professionals

BACKGROUND

The Hong Kong news media report suicide-related events more frequently and sensationally than Western countries. Little is known about Hong Kong media professionals' experiences and thoughts about such reporting.

AIMS

To understand Hong Kong media professionals' experiences and perceptions of suicide reporting and whether the news media can be better engaged into suicide prevention.

METHOD

We conducted three focus groups of journalists from both the Cantonese and English language news media. Data were analyzed using grounded theory methods.

RESULTS

We discerned three rationales from participants regarding their intense coverage of suicide-related events: (1) satisfying commercial competitiveness, (2) addressing social problems, and (3) responding to readers' interests. The first rationale was a dominant and vigorous motivating factor, and often influenced suicide reporting among local Cantonese media. Media professionals recommended engagement strategies targeted at frontline journalists, media managers, and general media consumers.

CONCLUSION

We see potential to involve news media professionals in Hong Kong as working partners in suicide prevention. To succeed, this effort requires engagement in a proactive, consistent, and sustained fashion.

The effectiveness of structural interventions at suicide hotspots: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Certain sites have gained notoriety as 'hotspots' for suicide by jumping. Structural interventions (e.g. barriers and safety nets) have been installed at some of these sites. Individual studies examining the effectiveness of these interventions have been underpowered.

METHOD

We conducted a meta-analysis, pooling data from nine studies.

RESULTS

Following the interventions, there was an 86% reduction in jumping suicides per year at the sites in question (95% CI 79% to 91%). There was a 44% increase in jumping suicides per year at nearby sites (95% CI 15% to 81%), but the net gain was a 28% reduction in all jumping suicides per year in the study cities (95% CI 13% to 40%).

CONCLUSIONS

Structural interventions at 'hotspots' avert suicide at these sites. Some increases in suicide are evident at neighbouring sites, but there is an overall gain in terms of a reduction in all suicides by jumping.

Interventions to reduce suicides at suicide hotspots: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

'Suicide hotspots' include tall structures (for example, bridges and cliffs), railway tracks, and isolated locations (for example, rural car parks) which offer direct means for suicide or seclusion that prevents intervention.

METHODS

We searched Medline for studies that could inform the following question: 'What interventions are available to reduce suicides at hotspots, and are they effective?'

RESULTS

There are four main approaches: (a) restricting access to means (through installation of physical barriers); (b) encouraging help-seeking (by placement of signs and telephones); (c) increasing the likelihood of intervention by a third party (through surveillance and staff training); and (d) encouraging responsible media reporting of suicide (through guidelines for journalists). There is relatively strong evidence that reducing access to means can avert suicides at hotspots without substitution effects. The evidence is weaker for the other approaches, although they show promise.

CONCLUSIONS

More well-designed intervention studies are needed to strengthen this evidence base.

[Characterization of News on Suicide in the Printed Press in Colombia]

INTRODUCTION

Suicide is a major public health problem. It is believed that the media plays an important role in the onset of suicidal behavior. Certain sub-groups of the population (for instance, young people or those suffering from depression) can be especially vulnerable to engage in imitative suicidal behaviors.

OBJECTIVES

To characterize news reports on suicide published in the printed press in Bogotá. To identify strategies, models or structures used in the print media (newspapers) to report suicide cases. To establish whether the way of reporting suicide cases is appropriate according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A detailed search was performed to find news on suicide or suicide attempts published in three Colombian newspapers -2 of them with national circulation (El Espectador and El Tiempo), and one with local circulation (El Espacio)-, during the period between August 2009 and August 2011. Compliance with WHO recommendations by the 3 newspapers was compared using Fisher tests; the frequency of news release was assessed using statistical control charts, and headlines were evaluated by lexicometric analysis.

RESULTS

During the study period, a total of 135 items of news relating to cases occurring in Colombia were found. Although there were differences between the newspapers, none of them fully met the WHO recommendations. There was no clear trend in the way of presenting the news. Three styles were found in the presentation of news (suggestive, sensationalist, and revealing impact on survivors), which could be associated with each of the 3 newspapers evaluated.