Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Media coverage as a risk factor in suicide.

S Stack1

  • 1Department of Criminal Justice, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA. aa1051@wayne.edu

Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
|March 21, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Media coverage of celebrity suicides significantly increases the risk of copycat suicides. Newspapers and real-life stories are more impactful than television and fictional accounts, highlighting the need for responsible reporting.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Intergenerational Effects of Stress - A Focus on Learning and Memory.

Current topics in behavioral neurosciences·2025
Same author

Predictors of psychological improvement on non-professional suicide message boards: content analysis.

Psychological medicine·2016
Same author

Estimating farmworker population size in New York State using a minimum labor demand method.

Journal of agricultural safety and health·2005
Same author

Media coverage as a risk factor in suicide.

Injury prevention : journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention·2002
Same author

Political regime and suicide: some relevant variables to be considered.

Journal of epidemiology and community health·2002
Same author

Pseudoexfoliation and sensorineural hearing loss.

Eye (London, England)·2002

Area of Science:

  • Public health
  • Media studies
  • Psychology

Background:

  • Media portrayal of suicide can influence public behavior.
  • The phenomenon of 'copycat suicides' is a recognized public health concern.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the impact of media coverage of suicide on real-world suicide incidence.
  • To identify factors influencing the 'copycat effect' in suicide reporting.

Main Methods:

  • Logistic regression analysis of 293 findings from 42 studies.
  • Comparison of studies based on celebrity vs. non-celebrity suicides.
  • Analysis of real vs. fictional and newspaper vs. televised suicide stories.

Main Results:

  • Studies on celebrity suicides were 14.3 times more likely to report a copycat effect.
  • Real-life suicide stories were 4.03 times more likely to show a copycat effect than fictional ones.
  • Newspaper reports were more likely to indicate a copycat effect than televised stories (82% less likely).

Conclusions:

  • Media reporting of celebrity suicides, especially in newspapers and based on real events, significantly increases copycat suicide risk.
  • Suicide prevention organizations can collaborate with media to mitigate negative impacts.
  • Responsible media coverage is crucial for suicide prevention efforts.

Related Experiment Videos