Observational studyCMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne2018
The association between suicide deaths and putatively harmful and protective factors in media reports.
Open access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph
Observational study in CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 42 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
42citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
13.5field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
What it found
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Who cites it
42 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 104 citations in OpenAlex.
- The representation of adolescent social media use: a systematic review and content analysis of UK newspaper articles.BMC public health · 2025Pooled it
- Systematic Review and Meta-analysis: International Prevalence of Suicidal Ideation and Attempt in Youth.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry · 2023Pooled it
- Association between suicide reporting in the media and suicide: systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2020Pooled it
- Young adult perspectives on media content related to suicide in South India: a qualitative study.BMJ open · 2026Article
- 'Fair and balanced?': quality of suicide-related reporting on major US cable news networks.The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science · 2025Article
- Investigating the impact of parallel media engagement initiatives on suicide reporting in Canada and Israel.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2025Article
- Media portrayals of assisted suicide before, during, and after legalization changes: content analysis of the reporting in Austrian newspapers.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Coverage of suicide deaths in newspapers and perceptions of suicide loss survivors on reporting: Insights from a community survey in India.PLOS mental health · 2025Article
- Article
- Quantifying suicide contagion at population scale.Science advances · 2024Article
- Suicide on the Toronto Transit Commission subway system in Canada (1998-2021): a time-series analysis.Lancet regional health. Americas · 2024Article
- Changes in Media Reporting Quality and Suicides Following National Media Engagement on Responsible Reporting of Suicide in Canada: Changements de la Qualité des reportages dans les médias sur les suicides suite à l'engagement des médias nationaux à la déclaration responsable du suicide au Canada.Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie · 2024Observational
- Background and Rationale - CDC Guidance for Communities Assessing, Investigating, and Responding to Suicide Clusters, United States, 2024.MMWR supplements · 2024Article
- Best practice for integrating digital interventions into clinical care for young people at risk of suicide: a Delphi study.BMC psychiatry · 2024Article
- Defining harmful news reporting on community firearm violence: A modified Delphi consensus study.PloS one · 2024Article
- A machine learning approach to detect potentially harmful and protective suicide-related content in broadcast media.PloS one · 2024Article
- Article
- An analysis of media coverage of the transition from military to civilian life, with a focus on health and well-being.Journal of military, veteran and family health · 2023Article
- Canadian news media coverage of suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic.Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology · 2023Article
- Association of 7 million+ tweets featuring suicide-related content with daily calls to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline and with suicides, United States, 2016-2018.The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Mark SinyorDepartment of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto (Sinyor); Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto (Schaffer); Department of Psychiatry (Nishikawa), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; University of Toronto and Evaluative Clinical Sciences at the Sunnybrook Research Institute, Division of General Internal Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Redelmeier), Toronto, Ont.; Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Center for Public Health, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Suicide Research Unit (Niederkrotenthaler), Vienna, Austria; Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Community Health Sciences (Sareen), University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man.; Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry (Levitt), University of Toronto; Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute and Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto (Kiss), Toronto, Ont.; Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health and University of Melbourne (Pirkis), Melbourne, Australia mark.sinyor@sunnybrook.ca.
Ayal SchafferDepartment of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto (Sinyor); Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto (Schaffer); Department of Psychiatry (Nishikawa), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; University of Toronto and Evaluative Clinical Sciences at the Sunnybrook Research Institute, Division of General Internal Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Redelmeier), Toronto, Ont.; Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Center for Public Health, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Suicide Research Unit (Niederkrotenthaler), Vienna, Austria; Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Community Health Sciences (Sareen), University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man.; Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry (Levitt), University of Toronto; Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute and Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto (Kiss), Toronto, Ont.; Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health and University of Melbourne (Pirkis), Melbourne, Australia.
Yasunori NishikawaDepartment of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto (Sinyor); Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto (Schaffer); Department of Psychiatry (Nishikawa), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; University of Toronto and Evaluative Clinical Sciences at the Sunnybrook Research Institute, Division of General Internal Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Redelmeier), Toronto, Ont.; Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Center for Public Health, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Suicide Research Unit (Niederkrotenthaler), Vienna, Austria; Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Community Health Sciences (Sareen), University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man.; Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry (Levitt), University of Toronto; Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute and Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto (Kiss), Toronto, Ont.; Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health and University of Melbourne (Pirkis), Melbourne, Australia.
Donald A RedelmeierDepartment of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto (Sinyor); Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto (Schaffer); Department of Psychiatry (Nishikawa), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; University of Toronto and Evaluative Clinical Sciences at the Sunnybrook Research Institute, Division of General Internal Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Redelmeier), Toronto, Ont.; Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Center for Public Health, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Suicide Research Unit (Niederkrotenthaler), Vienna, Austria; Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Community Health Sciences (Sareen), University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man.; Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry (Levitt), University of Toronto; Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute and Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto (Kiss), Toronto, Ont.; Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health and University of Melbourne (Pirkis), Melbourne, Australia.
Thomas NiederkrotenthalerDepartment of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto (Sinyor); Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto (Schaffer); Department of Psychiatry (Nishikawa), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; University of Toronto and Evaluative Clinical Sciences at the Sunnybrook Research Institute, Division of General Internal Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Redelmeier), Toronto, Ont.; Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Center for Public Health, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Suicide Research Unit (Niederkrotenthaler), Vienna, Austria; Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Community Health Sciences (Sareen), University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man.; Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry (Levitt), University of Toronto; Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute and Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto (Kiss), Toronto, Ont.; Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health and University of Melbourne (Pirkis), Melbourne, Australia.
Jitender SareenDepartment of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto (Sinyor); Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto (Schaffer); Department of Psychiatry (Nishikawa), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; University of Toronto and Evaluative Clinical Sciences at the Sunnybrook Research Institute, Division of General Internal Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Redelmeier), Toronto, Ont.; Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Center for Public Health, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Suicide Research Unit (Niederkrotenthaler), Vienna, Austria; Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Community Health Sciences (Sareen), University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man.; Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry (Levitt), University of Toronto; Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute and Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto (Kiss), Toronto, Ont.; Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health and University of Melbourne (Pirkis), Melbourne, Australia.
Anthony J LevittDepartment of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto (Sinyor); Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto (Schaffer); Department of Psychiatry (Nishikawa), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; University of Toronto and Evaluative Clinical Sciences at the Sunnybrook Research Institute, Division of General Internal Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Redelmeier), Toronto, Ont.; Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Center for Public Health, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Suicide Research Unit (Niederkrotenthaler), Vienna, Austria; Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Community Health Sciences (Sareen), University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man.; Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry (Levitt), University of Toronto; Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute and Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto (Kiss), Toronto, Ont.; Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health and University of Melbourne (Pirkis), Melbourne, Australia.
Alex KissDepartment of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto (Sinyor); Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto (Schaffer); Department of Psychiatry (Nishikawa), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; University of Toronto and Evaluative Clinical Sciences at the Sunnybrook Research Institute, Division of General Internal Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Redelmeier), Toronto, Ont.; Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Center for Public Health, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Suicide Research Unit (Niederkrotenthaler), Vienna, Austria; Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Community Health Sciences (Sareen), University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man.; Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry (Levitt), University of Toronto; Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute and Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto (Kiss), Toronto, Ont.; Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health and University of Melbourne (Pirkis), Melbourne, Australia.
Jane PirkisDepartment of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto (Sinyor); Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto (Schaffer); Department of Psychiatry (Nishikawa), Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; University of Toronto and Evaluative Clinical Sciences at the Sunnybrook Research Institute, Division of General Internal Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (Redelmeier), Toronto, Ont.; Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Center for Public Health, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Suicide Research Unit (Niederkrotenthaler), Vienna, Austria; Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Community Health Sciences (Sareen), University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man.; Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Department of Psychiatry (Levitt), University of Toronto; Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute and Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto (Kiss), Toronto, Ont.; Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health and University of Melbourne (Pirkis), Melbourne, Australia.
Sunnybrook Health Science Centre · CAMedical University of Vienna · ATUniversity of Melbourne · AU
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundExposure to media reporting on suicide can lead to suicide contagion and, in some circumstances, may also lead to help-seeking behaviour. There is limited evidence for which specific characteristics of media reports mediate these phenomena.
methodsThis observational study examined associations between putatively harmful and protective elements of media reports about suicide in 13 major publications in the Toronto media market and subsequent suicide deaths in Toronto (2011-2014). We used multivariable logistic regression to determine whether specific article characteristics were associated with increases or decreases in suicide deaths in the 7 days after publication, compared with a control window.
resultsFrom 2011 to 2014, there were 6367 articles with suicide as the major focus and 947 suicide deaths. Elements most strongly and independently associated with increased suicides were a statement about the inevitability of suicide (odds ratio [OR] 1.97, confidence interval [CI] 1.07-3.62), about asphyxia by a method other than car exhaust (OR 1.72, CI 1.36-2.18), about suicide by jumping from a building (OR 1.70, CI 1.28-2.26) or about suicide pacts (OR 1.63, CI 1.14-2.35), or a headline that included the suicide method (OR 1.41, CI 1.07-1.86). Elements most strongly and independently associated with decreased suicides were unfavourable characteristics (negative judgments about the deceased; OR 1.85, CI 1.20-2.84), or mentions of railway (OR 1.61, CI 1.10-2.36) and cutting or stabbing (OR 1.59, CI 1.19-2.13) deaths, and individual murder-suicide (OR 1.50, CI 1.23-1.84).
interpretationThis large study identified significant associations between several specific elements of media reports and suicide deaths. It suggests that reporting on suicide can have a meaningful impact on suicide deaths and that journalists and media outlets and organizations should carefully consider the specific content of reports before publication.
Indexed as
Suicide PreventionAdolescentAdultAgedAge DistributionChildFemaleHumansLogistic ModelsMaleMass MediaMiddle AgedMultivariate AnalysisOntarioProtective FactorsSex Distribution
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