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

Abstract

Objective To examine the association between reporting on suicides, especially deaths of celebrities by suicide, and subsequent suicides in the general population. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources PubMed/Medline, PsychInfo, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Google Scholar, searched up to September 2019. Review methods Studies were included if they compared at least one time point before and one time point after media reports on suicide; follow-up was two months or less; the outcome was death by suicide; and the media reports were about non-fictional suicides. Data from studies adopting an interrupted time series design, or single or multiple arm before and after comparisons, were reviewed. Results 31 studies were identified and analysed, and 20 studies at moderate risk of bias were included in the main analyses. The risk of suicide increased by 13% in the period after the media reported a death of a celebrity by suicide (rate ratio 1.13, 95% confidence interval 1.08 to 1.18; 14 studies; median follow-up 28 days, range 7-60 days). When the suicide method used by the celebrity was reported, there was an associated 30% increase in deaths by the same method (rate ratio 1.30, 95% confidence interval 1.18 to 1.44; 11 studies; median follow-up 28 days, range 14-60 days). For general reporting of suicide, the rate ratio was 1.002 (0.997 to 1.008; five studies; median follow-up 1 day, range 1-8 days) for a one article increase in the number of reports on suicide. Heterogeneity was large and partially explained by celebrity and methodological factors. Enhanced funnel plots suggested some publication bias in the literature. Conclusions Reporting of deaths of celebrities by suicide appears to have made a meaningful impact on total suicides in the general population. The effect was larger for increases by the same method as used by the celebrity. General reporting of suicide did not appear to be associated with suicide although associations for certain types of reporting cannot be excluded. The best available intervention at the population level to deal with the harmful effects of media reports is guidelines for responsible reporting. These guidelines should be more widely implemented and promoted, especially when reporting on deaths of celebrities by suicide. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42019086559.

Adaptation of evidence‐based suicide prevention strategies during and after theCOVID‐19 pandemic

“…Irresponsible media coverage may promote suicidal behaviours in recipients by sensationalizing suicide or paying unproportioned attention to spectacular suicides 118,119 . However, protective effects may be established through responsible reporting of suicide as well as public education 63,120 .…”

Media and mental health

“…[ 24 ] The protective media effects are termed the Papageno effect , as opposed to the harmful Werther effect . [ 25 ] The consensus at present is that prominent display of media reports about suicide result in a significant increase in suicide attempts, especially among adolescents and young adults, within the media outlet's coverage area. Based on research experience, a number of guidelines on media reporting have been formulated.…”

Assessing Adherence to Responsible Reporting of Suicide Guidelines in the Canadian News Media: A 1-year Examination of Day-to-day Suicide Coverage: Évaluer la conformité au journalisme responsable en matière de directives sur le suicide dans les médias canadiens d’information: Un examen d’une année de la couverture quotidienne du suicide

“…8 Indeed, a large corpus of research indicates that a Werther effect can occur when media reports about suicide include content that is (i) nonfictional; (ii) repeated and/or prominent, especially front-page or headline placing; (iii) reporting a celebrity suicide; (iv) describing the suicide method in detail; (v) referring to the suicide in monocausal or fatalistic language, for example, "inevitable"; or (vi) romanticizing the death. [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] In response to such knowledge, various organizations have developed best practice guidelines to promote responsible reporting on suicide (RRS). This concept was developed to encourage journalists to write about suicide in a manner that avoids content that may contribute to a Werther effect, while simultaneously encouraging reporters to write about putatively protective elements such as suicide prevention interventions and sources of help.…”