1
|
Asharani PV, Koh YS, Tan RHS, Tan YB, Gunasekaran S, Lim B, Tudor Car L, Subramaniam M. The impact of media reporting of suicides on subsequent suicides in Asia: A systematic review. ANNALS OF THE ACADEMY OF MEDICINE, SINGAPORE 2024; 53:152-169. [PMID: 38920243 DOI: 10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2023237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Introduction This systematic review is aimed at (1) evaluating the association between media portrayals of suicides and subsequent copycat suicides or attempts among the general public in Asia, (2) understanding the factors associated with copycat suicides and (3) determining the positive impacts of the media reporting of suicides (e.g. increased help-seeking, coping). Method A systematic review and narrative synthesis of English and Chinese articles from 8 electronic databases (i.e. PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Ariti, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and OpenGrey) from January 2000 to May 2023 was conducted. Observational studies were included, and the data were analysed through narrative synthesis. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021281535). Results Among the 32 studies included (n=29 for evidence synthesis) in the review, there is good-quality evidence to show that copycat suicides and suicide attempts increase after media reports of a suicide, regardless of country, celebrity status, study design, type of media, mode of suicide or follow-up period. Females, younger age groups and those sharing similar characteristics as the deceased in publicised suicides (age, gender) were more susceptible to negative impact. Reporting of the mode of death of the deceased increased suicides by the same method among the public. Conclusion Media portrayals of suicide appear to have a negative impact on copycat suicides at the population level in Asia. Thus, in addition to tighter media control, healthcare systems, professional medical bodies and community outreach services should work collaboratively to promote early help-seeking in those with psychological distress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P V Asharani
- Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore
| | - Yen Sin Koh
- Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore
| | | | - Yoke Boon Tan
- Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore
| | | | - Benedict Lim
- Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore
| | - Lorainne Tudor Car
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mythily Subramaniam
- Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kim HH, Lee JH, Song IH, Park YR. Characteristics and risk factors of suicide among people who attempted self-harm in South Korea: A longitudinal National Cohort Study in South Korea. Psychiatry Res 2023; 330:115613. [PMID: 38000207 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Although self-harm is known as a significant risk factor for suicide, there are insufficient studies on the characteristics of people who self-harmed and the factors affecting suicide using a national dataset in Asia. This study aimed to identify demographic, clinical, and socioeconomic factors of individuals who attempted self-harm concerning suicide mortality. By analyzing the Korean National Health Insurance Service data from 2002 to 2020, we compared the people who attempted self-harm to the general population and explored factors affecting suicide by using the Cox proportional hazards model. Older age, female sex, lower socioeconomic status, and psychiatric conditions were associated with higher self-harm attempts. Suicide was more prevalent among males with mild disabilities, using fatal self-harm methods, and higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores. Socioeconomic factors that were significantly related to self-harm attempt were relatively less significant in the suicide survival analysis, while male gender, older age, fatal self-harm methods, high CCI scores, psychiatric diagnosis, and drinking habits were significantly associated with lower suicide survival rates. These results showed that demographic, clinical and socioeconomic factors affecting self-harm differ from those affecting actual suicidal death after self-harm. These insights may assist in developing targeted prevention strategies for specific populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hye Hyeon Kim
- Department of Biomedical Systems Informatics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Division of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jin Hyuk Lee
- Department of Social Welfare, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - In Han Song
- Health & Mental Health Lab, Yonsei University Graduate School of Social Welfare, Seoul, South Korea; Institute for Convergence Science Academy, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea.
| | - Yu Rang Park
- Department of Biomedical Systems Informatics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Institute for Convergence Science Academy, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea; Graduate School of Medical Science, Brain Korea 21 FOUR Project, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Lueck JA, Poe M. Werther or Papageno? Examining the effects of news reports of celebrity suicide versus non-celebrity peer suicide on intentions to seek help among vulnerable young adults. Suicide Life Threat Behav 2023; 53:1038-1054. [PMID: 37750193 DOI: 10.1111/sltb.13004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A large body of literature has examined the Werther effect following news reports of suicide, yet much less attention has been paid to the protective Papageno effect. This research explored the causal relationships between news reports of real celebrity suicides (e.g., pop-rock star Chester Bennington) and real non-celebrity "peer" suicides (e.g., college student Madison Holleran) and intentions to seek help. METHODS Two survey experiments confirmed successful experimental manipulation (N = 280) and tested behavioral theory, clinical indicators, and intentions to seek help (N = 641) in samples of college students (18-25). RESULTS Participants were motivated to seek help if they believed it could lead to positive outcomes, yet this was less likely among participants with depression. Exposure to news reports of non-celebrity suicides had a small positive effect on help-seeking intentions. Among participants with depression, news reports of celebrity suicides had a small positive effect on intentions. CONCLUSIONS This research could not establish Werther effects for either of the news reports. Exposure to news reports of non-celebrity suicides had a small positive effect on intentions overall, but young adults with higher levels of depression were slightly more motivated to seek help after viewing news reports of celebrity suicides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Lueck
- Department of Communication, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Madison Poe
- Department of International Development, University of Oxford, Oxford, England
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Guinovart M, Cobo J, González-Rodríguez A, Parra-Uribe I, Palao D. Towards the Influence of Media on Suicidality: A Systematic Review of Netflix's 'Thirteen Reasons Why'. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:5270. [PMID: 37047886 PMCID: PMC10094075 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20075270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Online streaming series 'Thirteen Reasons Why' (13RW), released in March 2017, was criticized for its sensationalist portrayal of the main character's suicide, leading some people to voice fears of a global contagion of self-harm behaviors. The current investigation provides a systematic review of original studies analyzing the role of 13RW as an influencing factor for suicide. Articles were identified through a systematic search of Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycInfo, and a manual search of reference lists from inception until the 16 January 2023. Twenty-seven published articles were identified from an initial search of 496 studies. The positive effects of watching 13RW included a reduction in suicide stigma and a greater likelihood to discuss mental health concerns and seek for help. However, several studies reported negative outcomes, including significant increases in the rate of deaths by suicide in adolescents, the number of admissions for suicidal reasons, and the prevalence and severity of suicidal ideation and self-harm behaviors in vulnerable viewers. Still, due to methodological limitations, no causal relationship could be established. Preventive measures are required to alert of the risk and should be particularly addressed to susceptible subjects. Psychoeducational programs should be focused on this kind of phenomena in vulnerable populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martí Guinovart
- Department of Mental Health, Hospital Universitari Parc Taulí, 1 Parc Taulí, 08208 Sabadell, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 3-5 Calle Monforte de Lemos, Pabellón 11, Planta 0, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Plaça Cívica, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Jesús Cobo
- Department of Mental Health, Hospital Universitari Parc Taulí, 1 Parc Taulí, 08208 Sabadell, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 3-5 Calle Monforte de Lemos, Pabellón 11, Planta 0, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Plaça Cívica, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Alexandre González-Rodríguez
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 3-5 Calle Monforte de Lemos, Pabellón 11, Planta 0, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Mental Health, Hospital Universitari Mútua de Terrassa, 5 Plaça del Doctor Robert, 08221 Terrassa, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Barcelona, 585 Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Isabel Parra-Uribe
- Department of Mental Health, Hospital Universitari Parc Taulí, 1 Parc Taulí, 08208 Sabadell, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 3-5 Calle Monforte de Lemos, Pabellón 11, Planta 0, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Plaça Cívica, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Diego Palao
- Department of Mental Health, Hospital Universitari Parc Taulí, 1 Parc Taulí, 08208 Sabadell, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 3-5 Calle Monforte de Lemos, Pabellón 11, Planta 0, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Plaça Cívica, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Jang J, Myung W, Kim S, Han M, Yook V, Kim EJ, Jeon HJ. Effect of suicide prevention law and media guidelines on copycat suicide of general population following celebrity suicides in South Korea, 2005-2017. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2022; 56:542-550. [PMID: 34231416 DOI: 10.1177/00048674211025701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To prevent copycat suicides following media reporting of celebrity suicides, the South Korean government enacted a 'suicide prevention law' in 2012 and revised the media guidelines for suicide reporting in 2013. This study examined how these two regulatory measures affected suicide trends among the general population in South Korea. METHODS We analyzed the individual effect estimates for the general population within 30 days following the media report of 24 celebrity suicides using multivariate negative binomial regression. We performed a meta-analysis to compute the pooled rate ratios of the two regulations. We examined the trends in daily suicides by month during three time intervals before and after enactment using an autoregressive model and tested their significance using a piecewise linear regression. RESULTS Total suicides increased by 6.27 daily during the 30-day period after celebrity suicides. Compared with the 30 days prior to the reports on the suicide of 24 celebrities, the number of suicidal deaths in the general population increased by 13% during the 30 days after the reports were announced (pooled rate ratio 1.13, 95% confidence interval: 0.06-0.18; p < 0.001). There was a significant downward trend in the average daily suicide deaths, and no significant increase in suicide rates, after the enactment of the suicide prevention law (p < 0.001) and revision of the media guidelines (p = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS Suicide prevention and media guidelines were effective in reducing the effect of celebrity suicides. In addition to regulating media reporting of celebrity suicide, measures are needed to address viral republication on social media and to prevent suicide among entertainers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jihoon Jang
- Department of Psychiatry, Depression Center, Samsung Medical Center, School of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Research and Analysis, Korea Psychological Autopsy Center (KPAC), Seoul, Korea.,Department of Psychiatry, Keyo Hospital, Uiwang, Korea
| | - Woojae Myung
- Department of Neurosychiatry, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea
| | - Seongcheol Kim
- Department of Statistical Analysis, Korea Suicide Prevention Center (KPAC), Seoul, Korea
| | - Minhee Han
- Department of Statistical Analysis, Korea Suicide Prevention Center (KPAC), Seoul, Korea
| | - Vidal Yook
- Department of Psychiatry, Depression Center, Samsung Medical Center, School of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Eun Ji Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Depression Center, Samsung Medical Center, School of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Research and Analysis, Korea Psychological Autopsy Center (KPAC), Seoul, Korea
| | - Hong Jin Jeon
- Department of Psychiatry, Depression Center, Samsung Medical Center, School of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Research and Analysis, Korea Psychological Autopsy Center (KPAC), Seoul, Korea.,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences & Technology (SAIHST), Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Medical Device Management and Research, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences & Technology (SAIHST), Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea.,Department of Clinical Research Design and Evaluation, Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences & Technology (SAIHST), Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Effects of catastrophic financial loss on suicide risk: evidence from Korean stock market crash in October 2008. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2022; 57:47-56. [PMID: 34037839 PMCID: PMC8152199 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-021-02109-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The negative effect of catastrophic financial loss on suicide risk is widely perceived but hardly studied in-depth because of various difficulties in designing studies. We empirically investigated the effect utilizing the stock market crash event in October 2008 in South Korea. METHODS We extracted stock market investor data from Korea Exchanges, and mortality data from Microdata Integrated Service of individuals aged 30-60 years. We calculated age-standardized monthly suicide rate per 100,000 persons according to sex and age, and developed intervention analysis with multiplicative seasonal ARIMA model to isolate the effect of the stock market crash on suicide rate. RESULTS More than 11% of people aged 30-60 years were directly investing in stocks during stock market crash. In October 2008, both KOSPI and KOSDAQ indexes dropped by 22.67% and 30.14%, respectively. In November 2008, the suicide rate in males 30-60 years increased by > 40% compared to the expected levels if there had been no market crash, and in females aged 30-40 and 40-50 years, it increased by 101.84% and 74.81%, respectively. The effect appeared to persist in males, whereas it degenerated with time in females during our sampling period. Suicide was more pronounced in younger age groups and females. CONCLUSION In this first in-depth study, the effect of catastrophic financial loss negatively affects suicide risk for an extended period, indicating health and financial authorities should provide a long-term financial and psychological support for people with extreme financial loss.
Collapse
|
7
|
Domaradzki J. The Werther Effect, the Papageno Effect or No Effect? A Literature Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:2396. [DOI: https:/doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
This paper examines the association between media reporting on suicides and the subsequent suicides. Scientific papers from two online bibliographic sources Medline (PubMed) and PsycINFO were searched. The sample included 108 research papers examining the impact of different types of media stories on suicides. The review revealed that although the media can be a double-edged sword and serve both as a risk and a protective factor, the vast majority of research suggests that the relationship between the media reporting and the actual suicide rates is causal and real. Moreover, both the quantity and the quality of media reporting may trigger additional suicides in society. Simultaneously, research suggests that especially non-fictional presentations of celebrities’ suicides in newspapers and on television news have the biggest influence on the subsequent suicides. Additionally, a strong modelling effect of media reporting on suicide is based on nationality, age, and gender. However, research shows that because a negative reporting style can be modifiable and improved, the media can also have an educative or preventive effect and can reduce the risk of contagion. Consequently, it is important to monitor the implementation of media recommendations for the reporting of suicide, and continuous education of reporters is needed.
Collapse
|
8
|
Domaradzki J. The Werther Effect, the Papageno Effect or No Effect? A Literature Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:2396. [PMID: 33804527 PMCID: PMC7967741 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This paper examines the association between media reporting on suicides and the subsequent suicides. Scientific papers from two online bibliographic sources Medline (PubMed) and PsycINFO were searched. The sample included 108 research papers examining the impact of different types of media stories on suicides. The review revealed that although the media can be a double-edged sword and serve both as a risk and a protective factor, the vast majority of research suggests that the relationship between the media reporting and the actual suicide rates is causal and real. Moreover, both the quantity and the quality of media reporting may trigger additional suicides in society. Simultaneously, research suggests that especially non-fictional presentations of celebrities' suicides in newspapers and on television news have the biggest influence on the subsequent suicides. Additionally, a strong modelling effect of media reporting on suicide is based on nationality, age, and gender. However, research shows that because a negative reporting style can be modifiable and improved, the media can also have an educative or preventive effect and can reduce the risk of contagion. Consequently, it is important to monitor the implementation of media recommendations for the reporting of suicide, and continuous education of reporters is needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Domaradzki
- Department of Social Sciences and Humanities, Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, ul. Rokietnicka 7, 60-806 Poznań, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Yi H, Hwang J, Bae HJ, Kim N. Age and sex subgroups vulnerable to copycat suicide: evaluation of nationwide data in South Korea. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17253. [PMID: 31754190 PMCID: PMC6872728 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53833-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Media reports of a celebrity's suicide may be followed by copycat suicides, and the impact may vary in different age and sex subgroups. We proposed a quantitative framework to assess the vulnerability of age and sex subgroups to copycat suicide and used this method to investigate copycat suicides in relation to the suicides of 10 celebrities in South Korea from 1993 to 2013. By applying a detrending model to control for annual and seasonal fluctuations, we estimated the expected number of suicides within a copycat suicide period. The copycat effect was assessed in two ways: the magnitude of copycat suicide by dividing the observed by the expected number of suicides, and the mortality rate by subtracting the expected from the observed number of suicides. Females aged 20-29 years were the most vulnerable subgroup according to both the magnitude of the copycat effect (2.31-fold increase over baseline) and the mortality rate from copycat suicide (22.7-increase). Males aged 50-59 years were the second most vulnerable subgroup according to the copycat suicide mortality rate (20.5- increase). We hope that the proposed quantitative framework will be used to identify vulnerable subgroups to copycat effect, thereby helping devise strategies for prevention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hahn Yi
- Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeongeun Hwang
- Department of Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Jin Bae
- Department of Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Namkug Kim
- Department of Convergence Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|