Newspaper coverage linked with youth suicide clusters

USA Today

A new study has focosed on the role of newspaper coverage as a risk factor in the phenomenon of youth suicide “clusters,” i.e., when a young person’s suicide death is closely followed by several more in the same community. Researchers paired similar communities in which a youth suicide had occurred, and found that in those where other deaths had followed, there was more likely to have been detailed, prominently featured news coverage of the first death. The study’s authors emphasized the difference between a risk factor and a direct cause. “Suicidal behavior is complex. It’s not going to be just one thing,” said lead author Madelyn Gould, a suicide prevention researcher with the New York State Psychiatric Institute. She explained that suicide news coverage is likely to affect only youths who are already vulnerable. Many publications have adopted journalistic guidelines, such as those developed by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and other groups, designed to reduce the possibility of triggering suicide attempts and to encourage at-risk readers to seek help. An editorial accompanying the article suggests that an important next step is the investigation of how social media discussions of suicide deaths might affect vulnerable individuals’ behavior.

Spark Extra!  Visit the SPRC online library for a list of resources on preventing suicide clusters.