Suicide and the Media?

strobe · 13-03-2011 02:06AM

Hmmm.... It appears I am wrong. There are a lot of questions raised by that fact. The media have an even graver responsibility than I previously thought.

...... I really don't know what to say.

Eric Cartman · 13-03-2011 02:10AM

Suicide is a very sad and awful fact of life , But I would agree that under no circumstances should it ever be reported in the media, especially where the incident concerns anyone under 25.

In my view part of the reason for a higher suicide rate among young people is a lot to do with the celebrity focused media whoring celebrity suicides and to a certain extent glamourising them. This is wrong in every way and to a vunerable teenager the media talking about this suicide equates to a thought process of (I have problems --> this celebrity had problems --> they committed suicide --> got a nice funeral and the media lapped it up --> perhaps a way to go)

vinchick · 13-03-2011 02:11AM

strobe wrote: »

Hmmm.... It appears I am wrong. There are a lot of questions raised by that fact. The media have an even graver responsibility than I previously thought.

...... I really don't know what to say.

It is quite scary, they really need to be careful but in reality they really aren't. I remember chatting with the guy who did the research I proof read and that week paper X put out a supplement with the names, ages, pictures and how people died by suicide. A whole supplement. The poor guy was basically banging his head off the desk wondering when they are going to listen!

Millicent · 13-03-2011 02:11AM

strobe wrote: »

Hmmm.... It appears I am wrong. There are a lot of questions raised by that fact. The media have an even graver responsibility than I previously thought.

...... I really don't know what to say.

I know. I was surprised too when I heard about it. This may be one of the only instances where I can see the argument for censorship. It's definitely unsettling...

RubyRoss · 13-03-2011 02:14AM

Slightly off-topic but media hounding of breaved families is shocking.
How badly does the public need to see the picture of the coffin or hear what the priest said?

If only they printed quotes from neighbours telling them to F off or printed pictures of wide-eyed parents struggling to believe some heartless so and so is taking a photo.

Dave! · 13-03-2011 02:17AM

strobe wrote: »

Hmmm.... It appears I am wrong. There are a lot of questions raised by that fact. The media have an even graver responsibility than I previously thought.

...... I really don't know what to say.

Here (attached) is a really interesting graph that I just saw in the book I linked to. After the research into copycat suicides was highlighted to the suicide prevention authorities in Austria, they persuaded 2 of the biggest newspapers in Vienna to stop reporting on 'subway suicides' (I gather people jumping in front of trains), and well, the graph shows the dramatic drop in suicides of this nature following the change in policy.

K-9 · 13-03-2011 02:20AM

I find with the local press anyway, that you know it was a suicide but they will not say. It's just the way it is reported, young person sadly passed away, no cause of death etc.

It does seem these things happen in clusters so maybe there is something to it. Then again if it is clusters, well the news will get out anyway, locally!

Maybe shame plays a part. I know of a few families who got their son/daughter released from Psychiatric wards, against medical advice, and suicide occurred within days.

What families don't understand is the lengths somebody who wants to commit suicide will go to. To the family they seem calm and "cured", the professionals know the ruse.

The ruse is appearing normal to the family so they can get out to commit suicide and be at peace. Normality to them is committing suicide so they do everything to make that achievable, even appearing "cured".

There's a huge shame as they feel they "enabled" the suicide. That isn't true at all, they just got duped by a very clever person.

strobe · 13-03-2011 02:25AM

I don't want to trivialise things but I am not unmoved about the fact that people are so suggestible.... I'm sure it requires an original mind set but is it really that easy to tip people one way or the other? Are we that malleable?

vinchick · 13-03-2011 02:28AM

strobe wrote: »

I don't want to trivialise things but I am not unmoved about the fact that people are so suggestible.... I'm sure it requires an original mind set but is it really that easy to tip people one way or the other? Are we that malleable?

Yes and no. This sort of coverage does affect people but it is a minority. From what I remember people who this affected were vulnerable and in a pretty bad place to begin with, it just seemed to be a final confirmation or push.

Aoifey! · 13-03-2011 02:42AM

strobe wrote: »

I don't want to trivialise things but I am not unmoved about the fact that people are so suggestible.... I'm sure it requires an original mind set but is it really that easy to tip people one way or the other? Are we that malleable?

It is not just a matter that this one article or media coverage would make them decide, but it would have an influence on a person who is already very close to suicide. Someone who is already depressed or going through a very hard time, see this, and it begins to give them ideas.

strobe · 13-03-2011 04:19AM

So is this thread kosher or not? Media wise?

chicken fingers · 13-03-2011 06:44AM

Aoifey! wrote: »

On the one hand it could help other people who are thinking of commiting suicide by showing the effect it has on others and that there are others options out there.

But then again, there is also the matter of family and friends not wanting it to be reported and having to see it on every paper. Even if the family give permission, friends and loved ones who are not immediate family may not want it to be everywhere.

Recently there was a case of a young woman who commited suicide, her boyfriend then commited suicide soon after by her grave. This was plastered on local papers and the media took advantage of it by talking how it was so romantic. I know a friend of these people. They did not consider it romantic, they considered it a horrible loss if 2 of their close friends.

Check your facts, the girl died of illness, not suicide, but still very sad.

Aoifey! · 13-03-2011 07:11AM

chicken fingers wrote: »

Check your facts, the girl died of illness, not suicide, but still very sad.

Apologies, as I said I know a friend of theirs, I don't know them myself.

stupidusername · 13-03-2011 12:11PM

There are also people who don't just feel like they have no one to talk to, or the world would be better without them, there are some who just can't handle things, who just don't want to live with the problems they constantly have. So I'd have to say that not every one is fixable.

13-03-2011 01:06PM

What we need in this country is proper education about mental health. There is none. It needs to be taught throughout secondary school; how to deal with the problems, who to talk to, where to go. We've more or less developed a country who are incapable of dealing with issues like this.

There's a few billboards up around Galway that I pass on a regular basis - one says along the lines of "Jill survived suicide, but the rumours were worse".

stupidusername · 13-03-2011 06:03PM

Deleted User wrote: »

What we need in this country is proper education about mental health. There is none. It needs to be taught throughout secondary school; how to deal with the problems, who to talk to, where to go. We've more or less developed a country who are incapable of dealing with issues like this.

There's a few billboards up around Galway that I pass on a regular basis - one says along the lines of "Jill survived suicide, but the rumours were worse".

also we need proper facilities. I mean I can only guess, as I've never been allowed access to the services available, but it'd be my guess there aren't that many psychiatrists available (outside Dublin) publicly. Could be wrong. A big problem for many people living rurally is ease of access to these facilities (if there are any).

It's a step in the right direction, those posters, 'which is worse, suffering from depression or having to hide it?' but much more is needed to continue.

HooterSnout · 13-03-2011 06:12PM

I think an up to date comprehensive article in a reputable newspaper with facts and figures would shock a lot of people with how big a problem this is. It's really sad that it seems like it's being swept under the carpet.

Sunnyisland · 13-03-2011 06:29PM

I was at a funeral yesterday morning, Friends brothers son, killed himself, he was 36 & had one child,He seemed to others to be happy enough but obviously wasn't and now we will never know,

Suicide prevention & education should be a priority with the new Government, if the same amount of people were dying by anything else there would be a national outcry, Unfortunately it still is a taboo subject with families still feeling guilty about mentioning & talking about it, That has to change.

liquoriceall · 13-03-2011 06:50PM

There are excellent mental health service staff working rurally but they are overwhelmed, I strongly feel that the media should not report suicide as for all involved its tough enough and there has been substancial evidence to show 'clusters', eg Wales

sashafierce · 13-03-2011 07:34PM

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Millicent · 15-03-2011 12:31AM

sashafierce wrote: »

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Have you read any of the links that say otherwise?

bedrock#1 · 15-03-2011 01:17AM

Here's the WHO's official line and recommendations to Media Professionals.

http://www.who.int/mental_health/media/en/426.pdf

Makes for an interesting read, some of the suggestions include what details of the suicide should be divulged by the media and so on. It does seem to be based on a phenomena first discovered in the late 1700's brought about by a book by Goethe in which the main character commits suicide. There were a number of copy-cat suicides when it was published the term the "Werther Effect" was coined to describe this phenomena , named after the main character.

But the availability of guidelines backed up by high quality research begs the question of why the media still won't report it.... perhaps it's simply because they aren't willing to take the risk so as to avoid being implicated of influencing a suicide. Still worth the read though.

Hope it's of use

markesmith · 15-03-2011 02:04AM

bedrock#1 wrote: »

It does seem to be based on a phenomena first discovered in the late 1700's brought about by a book by Goethe in which the main character commits suicide.

There's a similar phenomenon in Hungary, with a famous song in the language being about suicide; Hungary has one of the highest rates in the world, along with the Baltic countries.

The poster above that says if it was a murder epidemic there'd be a national outcry makes a valid point; something needs to be done about it, especially in rural areas, and silence isn't working.

s3129 · 15-03-2011 03:05AM

I don't think I would like to see suicide reported. It wouldn't be fair on the families, IMO.

Yes, there should be more awareness.

Yes, there should be more help out there.

But no, the media does not have to go naming out people, who for some reason or another took their own life.

Figures could be released, but names really wouldn't do any good.

sashafierce · 15-03-2011 08:42AM

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Dave! · 15-03-2011 10:59AM

sashafierce wrote: »

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Less people die?

sashafierce · 15-03-2011 05:17PM

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sashafierce · 15-03-2011 05:23PM

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Thomas_S_Hunterson · 15-03-2011 05:35PM

markesmith wrote: »

There's a similar phenomenon in Hungary, with a famous song in the language being about suicide

Billie Holiday covered it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48cTUnUtzx4

nlgbbbblth · 15-03-2011 06:02PM

If there's a gag placed on the media reporting of suicides then there should be similiar restrictions on raising suicide awareness or any general discussion of the problem.

People shouldn't have it both ways.

Suicide and the Media?

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