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Home All Specialties Chronic Disease

Newspaper reporting of suicide linked with teenage suicide clusters

byAmir Tarsha, MSandXiaozhou Liu
May 1, 2014
in Chronic Disease, Emergency, Pediatrics, Psychiatry
Reading Time: 3 mins read
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Image: PD

1. The number of reports concerning the first suicide in a cluster was found to be significantly higher than the number of reports following an isolated suicide. 

2. The reports concerning the first suicide in a cluster are more detailed and prominently placed (i.e. front page).  

Evidence Rating Level: 3 (Average)           

Study Rundown: Although there has been a great deal of research on purely temporal (mass) suicide clusters, there has been relatively few studies exploring spatiotemporal (point) suicide clusters. In this retrospective study, investigators looked for an association between teenage point suicide clusters and increased media coverage. The researchers used suicide data from 48 US states and restricted their demographic to those between the ages of 13 and 20. Once clusters were identified, a control group of non-cluster suicides was established. Non-cluster suicides included those individuals who committed suicide in the same state, but at least a year apart from any point cluster. A comprehensive newspaper database was created, which encompassed both the communities in which clusters occurred and those in which non-cluster suicides took place.

Analysis revealed that the mean number of news reports after the first suicide in a cluster (index suicide) was higher than the mean number of reports after a non-cluster suicide. Additionally the study showed that local reports about any suicidal individuals were increased following an index suicide. This suggests that the level of new coverage following suicides may, at least in part, explain the temporary elevations in the incidence of suicide in nearby locations. Of crucial note, this study design merely notes an association but cannot establish a causal relationship. Lastly, it should be noted that while the most popular newspapers in each community were identified, the researchers were not able to find out the level of exposure suicide victims had to various news sources.

Click to read the study, published today in The Lancet Psychiatry

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In-Depth [case-control]: This study assessed the correlation between point suicide clusters and newspaper reports of suicide. In order to identify point clusters, the researchers used a Scan statistic, which was used to find an increased incidence of disease in specific times and places. 53 clusters were identified between 1988 and 1996. The mean number of suicides in each cluster was 3.88. Two control (non-cluster) communities were matched with each cluster community. The data demonstrated that the mean number of reports following an index suicide was higher than the mean number of reports following a non-cluster suicide. Index suicides were reported 25% of the time, compared to 14% of the time in non-cluster suicides (p = 0.0003). Additionally, any suicidal individuals with a spatiotemporal relationship to an index suicide received more coverage (median: four stories) than suicidal individuals in non-cluster communities (median: three stories) (p < 0.0001). Finally, reports about index suicides were more detailed (included a picture) and more prominently placed (front-page) (p = 0.001, p = 0.012).

More from this author: Local excision inferior to major resection in T1-2 colon cancer and T2 rectal cancer, Secondary mastoid obliteration improves quality of life for patients with chronic otitis media, Healthcare reform linked with reduced racial disparities in surgical care, VATS lobectomy may be preferred in COPD with non-small-cell lung cancer, One-on-one training leads to improved virtual reality laparoscopic performance

©2012-2014 2minutemedicine.com. All rights reserved. No works may be reproduced without expressed written consent from 2minutemedicine.com. Disclaimer: We present factual information directly from peer reviewed medical journals. No post should be construed as medical advice and is not intended as such by the authors, editors, staff or by 2minutemedicine.com. PLEASE SEE A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IN YOUR AREA IF YOU SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE OF ANY SORT. 

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