Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31042568›Full record

ArticleJournal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry2020

Association Between the Release of Netflix's 13 Reasons Why and Suicide Rates in the United States: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

Jeffrey A Bridge, Joel B Greenhouse, Donna Ruch, Jack Stevens, John Ackerman, Arielle H Sheftall, Lisa M Horowitz, Kelly J Kelleher, John V Campo

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 55 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
55citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

55 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Systematic Review and Meta-analysis: International Prevalence of Suicidal Ideation and Attempt in Youth.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry · 2023
    Pooled it
  3. Towards the Influence of Media on Suicidality: A Systematic Review of Netflix's 'Thirteen Reasons Why'.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023
    Pooled it
  4. Quantitative Methods to Detect Suicide and Self-Harm Clusters: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
    Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Article
  7. Characterizing Online Activities Contributing to Suicide Mortality among Youth.Proceedings of the ... International AAAI Conference on Weblogs and Social Media. International AAAI Conference on Weblogs and Social Media · 2026
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  10. Exposure to Suicidal Behavior by Sexual and Gender Minority Status Among Adolescents in the Southeastern United States.The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Jeffrey A BridgeAbigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH; The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH. Electronic address: Jeff.Bridge@Nationwidechildrens.org.
Joel B GreenhouseCarnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.
Donna RuchAbigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH.
Jack StevensAbigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH; The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH.
John AckermanThe Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH; Nationwide Children's Hospital Big Lots Behavioral Health Services, Columbus, OH.
Arielle H SheftallAbigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH; The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH.
Lisa M HorowitzIntramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD.
Kelly J KelleherAbigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH; The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH.
John V CampoWest Virginia University, Morgantown, WV.

Funding

Psychiatry Consultation Liaison Service ResearchZIAMH002922 · NIMH · NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH · PI PAO, MARYLAND · 2009 to 2025
$11.5M
Identifying Periods of High Risk and Predictors of Suicide for Youth in Public Child Serving SystemsR01MH117594 · NIMH · RESEARCH INST NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSP · PI BRIDGE, JEFFREY A, FONTANELLA, CYNTHIA ANN · 2018 to 2021
$1.7M
NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH117594
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo estimate the association between the release of the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why and suicide rates in the United States.

methodUsing segmented quasi-Poisson regression and Holt-Winters forecasting models, we assessed monthly rates of suicide among individuals aged 10 to 64 years grouped into 3 age categories (10-17, 18-29, and 30-64 years) between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2017, before and after the release of 13 Reasons Why on March 31, 2017. We also assessed the impact of the show's release on a control outcome, homicide deaths.

resultsAfter accounting for seasonal effects and an underlying increasing trend in monthly suicide rates, the overall suicide rate among 10- to 17-year-olds increased significantly in the month immediately following the release of 13 Reasons Why (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.29; 95% CI, 1.09-1.53); Holt-Winters forecasting revealed elevated observed suicide rates in the month after release and in two subsequent months, relative to corresponding forecasted rates. Contrary to expectations, these associations were restricted to boys. Among 18- to 29-year-olds and 30- to 64-year-olds, we found no significant change in level or trend of suicide after the show's release, both overall and by sex. The show's release had no apparent impact in the control analyses of homicide deaths within any age group.

conclusionThe release of 13 Reasons Why was associated with a significant increase in monthly suicide rates among US youth aged 10 to 17 years. Caution regarding the exposure of children and adolescents to the series is warranted.

Indexed as

SuicideAdolescentAdultChildForecastingHomicideHumansInterrupted Time Series AnalysisMaleMiddle AgedUnited StatesYoung Adult13 Reasons Whysuicidesuicide media reporting guidelinestime series

Identifiers

PMID31042568
PMCPMC6817407

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.