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Sinyor M, Ekstein D, Prabaharan N, Fiksenbaum L, Vandermeer C, Schaffer A, Pirkis J, Heisel MJ, Goldstein BI, Redelmeier DA, Taylor P, Niederkrotenthaler T. Changes in Media Reporting Quality and Suicides Following National Media Engagement on Responsible Reporting of Suicide in Canada: Changements de la Qualité des reportages dans les médias sur les suicides suite à l'engagement des médias nationaux à la déclaration responsable du suicide au Canada. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. REVUE CANADIENNE DE PSYCHIATRIE 2024; 69:358-368. [PMID: 38174363 PMCID: PMC11032096 DOI: 10.1177/07067437231223334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Responsible media reporting is an accepted strategy for preventing suicide. In 2015, suicide prevention experts launched a media engagement initiative aimed at improving suicide-related reporting in Canada; its impact on media reporting quality and suicide deaths is unknown. METHOD This pre-post observational study examined changes in reporting characteristics in a random sample of suicide-related articles from major publications in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) media market. Articles (n = 900) included 450 from the 6-year periods prior to and after the initiative began. We also examined changes in suicide counts in the GTA between these epochs. We used chi-square tests to analyse changes in reporting characteristics and time-series analyses to identify changes in suicide counts. Secondary outcomes focused on guidelines developed by media professionals in Canada and how they may have influenced media reporting quality as well as on the overarching narrative of media articles during the most recent years of available data. RESULTS Across-the-board improvement was observed in suicide-related reporting with substantial reductions in many elements of putatively harmful content and substantial increases in all aspects of putatively protective content. However, overarching article narratives remained potentially harmful with 55.2% of articles telling the story of someone's death and 20.8% presenting an other negative message. Only 3.6% of articles told a story of survival. After controlling for potential confounders, a nonsignificant numeric decrease in suicide counts was identified after initiative implementation (ω = -5.41, SE = 3.43, t = 1.58, p = 0.12). CONCLUSIONS We found evidence that a strategy to engage media in Canada changed the content of reporting, but there was only a nonsignificant trend towards fewer suicides. A more fundamental change in media narratives to focus on survival rather than death appears warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Sinyor
- Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Daniella Ekstein
- Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
| | - Nivetha Prabaharan
- Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Caroline Vandermeer
- Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Ayal Schaffer
- Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jane Pirkis
- Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Marnin J. Heisel
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Benjamin I. Goldstein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder, Center for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
| | - Donald A. Redelmeier
- Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
| | - Paul Taylor
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
| | - Thomas Niederkrotenthaler
- Unit Suicide Research and Mental Health Promotion, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Centre for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Wiener Werkstaette for Suicide Research, Vienna, Austria
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Robinson J, Thorn P, McKay S, Hemming L, Battersby-Coulter R, Cooper C, Veresova M, Li A, Reavley N, Rice S, Lamblin M, Pirkis J, Reidenberg D, Harrison V, Skehan J, La Sala L. #chatsafe 2.0. updated guidelines to support young people to communicate safely online about self-harm and suicide: A Delphi expert consensus study. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289494. [PMID: 37531397 PMCID: PMC10395901 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Young people use social media to communicate about self-harm and suicide and this is associated with both potential risks and protective effects. The #chatsafe guidelines were originally developed in 2018 to equip young people to communicate safely online about suicide. They were shown to be safe, acceptable, and beneficial; however, they do not provide guidance on self-harm, and social media is constantly evolving. This study aimed to update the #chatsafe guidelines to reflect new evidence and current social media affordances, and to include guidance on self-harm. METHODS A Delphi expert consensus study was conducted, comprising six stages: 1) A systematic search of peer-reviewed and grey literature; 2) A series of roundtables with key stakeholders including social media companies, policymakers, and young people; 3) Questionnaire development; 4) Expert panel formation; 5) Data collection and analysis; and 6) Guideline development. RESULTS A total of 191 items were included in the new #chatsafe guidelines. These were organised into eight themes, which became the overarching sections of the guidelines: 1) General tips; 2) Creating self-harm and suicide content; 3) Consuming self-harm and suicide content; 4) Livestreams of self-harm and suicide acts; 4) Self-harm and suicide games, pacts, and hoaxes; 6) Self-harm and suicide communities; 7) Bereavement and communicating about someone who has died by suicide; and 8) Guidance for influencers. DISCUSSION The new guidelines include updated and new information on online communication about self-harm, livestreams, games, pacts, and hoaxes, as well as guidance for influencers. They will be disseminated via a national social media campaign and supported by a series of adult-facing resources. Given the acceptability of the original guidelines and the ubiquitous use of social media by young people, it is hoped that the new guidelines will be a useful resource for young people and adults alike, both in Australia and worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo Robinson
- Orygen, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Pinar Thorn
- Orygen, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Samuel McKay
- Orygen, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Laura Hemming
- Orygen, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Rikki Battersby-Coulter
- Orygen, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Charlie Cooper
- Orygen, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Maria Veresova
- Orygen, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Angela Li
- Orygen, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nicola Reavley
- Centre for Mental Health, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Simon Rice
- Orygen, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michelle Lamblin
- Orygen, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jane Pirkis
- Centre for Mental Health, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Dan Reidenberg
- Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, Bloomington, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Vicki Harrison
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Jaelea Skehan
- College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Louise La Sala
- Orygen, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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