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April 2009 – Volume 5, No. 2
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Responsible reporting may help reduce
suicide contagionby Jadranka Bacic
The media may play an unwitting role in increasing the likelihood that a vulnerable individual may attempt or commit suicide, according to a new policy paper, Media Guidelines for Suicide Reporting, released by the Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA).
Studies have shown that the rate of suicide among adolescents and young adults increases after extensive newspaper or television coverage of a suicidal act, but this likelihood decreases when journalists are educated about suicide as a potential “contagion" and modify their reporting.
Dr. Jitender Sareen, a psychiatrist and researcher at the University of Manitoba as well as one of the authors of the paper, says Canadian journalists should become familiar with the guidelines on responsible suicide reporting produced by the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (CASP) and the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC).
“Most journalists are unaware that reporting suicide can cause copycat suicides," says Dr. Sareen. “These guidelines need to be taken up widely, not just by the individual journalist but by media organizations, and they need to be taught in journalism schools." The paper also suggests that there may be a role for policy-makers in monitoring the media to reinforce the guidelines.
The CPA is working to get the word out about responsible suicide reporting. A press release was issued to all journalists, journalism schools, hospitals, as well as allied health organizations and groups like the Mental Health Commission of Canada, all 19 members of the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health, and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
Copies of the policy paper will also be available in both English and French at the CPA booth during the Annual Conference in August this year as well as during the annual meetings of the various provincial associations. A credit-card sized summary of the CASP and CDC guidelines will also be displayed at the CPA booth as well as on the Association’s web site at www.cpa-apc.org.
“Reporting on suicide can’t be banned, but it can be responsible," says CPA President Susan Abbey. “We urge all journalists to become better acquainted with the expert guidelines on reporting from the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention and the Center for Disease Control. The evidence is convincing that some simple precautions will save lives."
Dr. Sareen and his co-authors on the paper say journalists should avoid sensational, repetitive or excessive reporting, providing details about the method, or using the word “suicide" in the headline. Articles should also include alternatives to suicide such as treatment, information about community resources, and the warning signs of suicidal behaviour.
Read more about the importance of responsible suicide resporting in the CPA Policy Paper, Media Guidelines for Reporting Suicide, at http://cpa-apc.org/browse/documents/273&xwm=true.
© Copyright 2009. Canadian Psychiatry Aujourd’hui. All rights reserved.
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February 04, 2012
