Assessing Fidelity to Suicide Reporting Guidelines in Canadian News Media: The Death of Robin Williams

Abstract

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.

Fidelity assessment of the suicide reporting guidelines in Korean newspapers

“…Our findings on using direct wording (63.9%), providing detailed information (74.5%), and reporting the contents of the suicide note (44.6%) were very similar to those of Kim’s [ 27 ] study, where percentage of these items were 64, 75 and 45%, respectively. The overall percentage of articles speculating or jumping to conclusions (36.7%) was similar to the results of Creed and Whitley (34.8%) [ 23 ] and Utterson et al’s (30.1%) [ 26 ] studies. Similarly, the results for providing hotline information (1.4%) and educating the public (2.2%) aligned with the studies by Ramadas and Kuttichira [ 24 ] and Harshe et al [ 25 ], who found nearly zero cases for these guideline items.…”

“…The levels of concordance and discordance of media reports with suicide guidelines can provide important implications for further research and the improvement of the current guidelines. Creed and Whitley [ 23 ] found that 55% of the Canadian newspapers that reported on the suicide of a famous figure had adhered to Mindset’s guidelines by up to 80%. In the study of Ramadas and Kuttichira [ 24 ], they referred to the WHO guidelines and the suggestions of professionals in the related field to create their analytical framework.…”

Media Guidelines for Reporting on Suicide: 2017 Update of the Canadian Psychiatric Association Policy Paper

“…A recent study examining adherence to Mindset's 14 specific recommendations in the aftermath of a celebrity suicide found that most recommendations were followed (range of adherence was 65% to 99% of articles), except for the recommendation to tell people considering suicide how they can get help (present in only 27% of articles). 48 The original CPA position paper on media reporting and suicide 1 garnered controversy from some who expressed scepticism about the evidence base for suicide contagion, 49 and argued that perceived efforts to suppress suicide-related stories are counter-productive. 50 In the interim, there has been increased engagement between mental health professionals and the media via informal dialogue surrounding specific reports, through symposia at the CPA annual meeting, and during and after Canada's first media forum for suicide prevention, held in Toronto in November, 2015.…”

“…Les études canadiennes qui examinent la couverture médiatiqueen général et selon les lignes directrices ci-dessus-sont limitées. Une étude récente examinant l'observance des 14 recommandations spécifiques de Mindset à la suite du suicide d'une célébrité a constaté que la plupart des recommandations ont été respectées (l'échelle de l'observance allait de 65 % à 99 % des articles), excepté en ce qui concerne la recommandation de dire aux gens qui envisagent le suicide comment ils peuvent obtenir de l'aide (présente dans seulement 27 % des articles) 48 .…”

Association between suicide reporting in the media and suicide: systematic review and meta-analysis

“…The guidelines also recommend including information on the role of treatable mental illness, where and how to seek help for suicidal thoughts, and a message of hope that suicide is preventable. But specific information on individual deaths by suicide continues to be published; the suicide of the actor Robin Williams is an example of the guidelines not being fully followed 1718…”