Can a movie be bad for public health? Yes! According to researchers at University of Southern California which published the first data on whether 13 Reasons Why a recent movie is bad for public health.

Experts have expressed concerns about a spike in suicide rates as a result of an online movie ”13 reasons why”. The movie was released in March, 2017 and is scheduled to continue till at least 2018 when the second reason will be aired.

How did the researchers arrive at these conclusion?

They looked at online searches for the word ”suicide” between the release date of the movie, 13 reasons why in March 31, 2017 and April 18, a period of three weeks.

They were surprised to find out that there had been a massive spike in online searches for information on suicide. Suicide queries went up nearly 20 percent in the 19 days following the show’s release—between 900,000 and 1.5 million more suicide related searches than expected. Furthermore, at least 5 out of the top queries were specifically on methods to end one’s life suggesting that millions of queries were on how to commit suicide. Such search terms included “quick suicide,” “painless suicide,” and “how to kill yourself.” “That’s troubling,” Ayers the author of the report said. “Even with the best of intentions, it’s clear this show has real world consequences.” Why it is not possible to conclude that such queries reflect people’s intentions, it certainly a source of concern.

Cc laslastica, Dominique

Source: http://www.healthx24.com/experts-warn-possible-rise-suicide-rates-popular-movie/

Could the media have contributed to the increase in this the risk of suicide? Possibly. According to available data, news outlets published more than 600,000 stories about it. The movie also had massive interests on Twitter where people tweeted about the show more than 11 million times in the first three weeks of its release.

The producers wanted to raise awareness about teenage suicides which appears to have been on the rise on account of bullying, mental illness, drug use and poor access to treatment. Rather than acknowledge that mental illness (which can be properly treated) plays a critical role in suicidal thoughts and attempts, the movie bundled suicidality with growing up -an inevitable part of teenage years. This is a source of concern to parents, teachers and health professionals that want young people to have all the information they need about suicide.

Can watching a movie or reading an account about suicide lead to suicide rates? Experts think so. Particularly if guidelines recommended by the world Health Organization of how the media should present suicide related news is ignored. There have been reports of copycat suicide particularly among young persons in the past. In addition to strategies that can be implemented at the community level, everyone should know the warning signs of suicide and be prepared to act to counter the effects of sensational media especially when the contagion is spread by word of mouth or sensational media stories.

Have you watched the movie? Has it had any impact on you? If so, don’t hesitate to seek professional help.

For those that are yet to see the movie, this recent data connecting the movie to suicidality will no doubt help them make an informed choice.


http://www.healthx24.com/experts-warn-possible-rise-suicide-rates-popular-movie/