Objective: Mindset is a short recently-published booklet funded by the Mental Health Commission of Canada outlining evidence-based guidelines and best practices for journalists writing about mental health and suicide. Our study aimed to assess fidelity to Mindset recommendations in Canadian newspaper reports of a recent celebrity suicide. A secondary aim is to identify common themes discussed in these newspaper articles. Methods: Articles about Robin Williams' suicide from major Canadian newspapers were gathered and coded for presence or absence of each of the 14 recommendations in the ''Covering Suicide'' section of Mindset. A threshold of 80% was set to test for high fidelity to the guidelines. A qualitative content analysis of the articles was also undertaken to discern common themes and social issues discussed in the articles.Results: Fifty-five per cent of articles surpassed the 80% threshold for high fidelity, while 85% applied at least 70% of the recommendations. The recommendation most commonly overlooked was ''Do tell others considering suicide how they can get help,'' which was absent in 73% of articles. The most common themes discussed were those of addictions and stigma. Conclusions:The news articles generally follow the evidence-based guidelines regarding the reporting of suicide set out in Mindset. This is a welcome development. Future research should continue to examine reporting of suicide to assess for further improvements, while also examining the wider impact of Mindset on the reporting of mental illness per se. Abré géObjective : En-tête -Reportage et santé mentale est un livret récemment publié par la Commission de la santé mentale du Canada qui présente des lignes directrices et des pratiques exemplaires fondées sur des données probantes pour les journalistes qui écrivent sur la santé mentale et le suicide. La présente étude vise principalement à évaluer la fidélité aux recommandations d'En-tête dans les articles des journaux canadiens sur le suicide récent d'une célébrité. Un objectif secondaire était d'identifier les thèmes communs discutés dans ces articles de journaux.Mé thodes : Les articles des grands journaux canadiens sur le suicide de Robin Williams ont été assemblés et codés pour la présence ou l'absence de chacune des 14 recommandations du chapitre « Couverture des suicides » d'En-tête. Un seuil de 80% a été déterminé pour vérifier la fidélité élevée au guide. Une analyse du contenu qualitatif des articles a aussi été menée afin de discerner les thèmes communs et les enjeux sociaux discutés dans les articles.

Colonial thinking runs deep in psychiatry. Recent anti-racist statements from the APA and RCPsych are to be welcomed. However, we argue that if it is to really tackle deep-seated racism and decolonise its curriculum, the discipline will need to critically interrogate the origins of some of its fundamental assumptions, values and priorities. This will not be an easy task. By its very nature, the quest to decolonise is fraught with contradictions and difficulties. However, we make the case that this moment presents an opportunity for psychiatry to engage positively with other forms of critical reflection on structures of power/knowledge in the field of mental health. We propose a number of paths along which progress might be made.

No abstract