How does news coverage of suicide affect suicidal behaviour at a high-frequency location? A 7-year time series analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

News reporting of suicide can have a significant influence on suicidal behaviour in the general population, especially following the death of a well-known individual. By comparison, the impact of reporting on suicides at well-known, 'high-frequency' locations is less well understood. We investigated the relationship between news coverage of suicide and incidents at a high-frequency coastal location in the UK over a 7-year period.

Methods

We analysed bidirectional associations (with daily and weekly lags) and Granger causality between suicide-related news in the UK (n=38 595, of which 789 focused on cliff locations) and suspected suicides (n=278) and crisis interventions (n=3050) at the site between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2023. Separate subanalyses explor

SUBMITTER: Marzano L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11812903 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature