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Cited by 74Suicide and Self-Harm StudiesMedia Influence and HealthHomicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse

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Are news reports of suicide contagious? A stringent test in Six U.S. Cities.

Romer, Daniel, Jamieson, Patrick E., Jamieson, Kathleen H.·2006·Journal of Communication
DOI 10.1111/j.1460-2466.2006.00018.x
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Abstract

Past evidence of suicidal contagion from news reports in the United States is based largely on national data prior to 1980 using proxies for suicide stories rather than local news sources. Our research examined more proximal effects of suicide news reporting for 4 months in 1993 in 6 U.S. cities controlling for a wide range of alternative sources of media and interpersonal influence. In addition, predictions for the effect based on suicide contagion theories were examined for 3 age groups (15–25, 25–44, and older than 44). Local television news was associated with increased incidence of deaths by suicide among persons younger than 25 years. Newspaper reports were associated with suicide deaths for both young persons and persons older than 44 years. An unexpected protective effect of television news reports was observed in the 25–44 age range; nevertheless, news reporting was associated with an aggregate increase in suicide deaths. The results support theories of media contagion but also suggest that media depiction can inhibit suicide among some audience members.

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Crossref · 10.1111/j.1460-2466.2006.00018.x

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  • Decades of research has confirmed that exposure to media reports of suicides - especially celebrity suicides - or personal role models, like parents or friends, is associated with increased risk of suicidality.

    “Decades of research from a variety of methodological approaches and causal modeling strategies has confirmed that exposure to (1) media reports of suicides (Stack, 1987, 2005, 2009; Gould, 2001; Romer et al., 2006; Gould et al., 2014)– especially celebrity suicides – or (2) personal role models, like parents or friends (Abrutyn and Mueller, 2014a; Mueller and Abrutyn, 2015; Mueller et al., 2015a;”

    From The Social Roots of Suicide: Theorizing How the External Social World Matters to Suicide and Suicide Prevention (2021) · cites this paper as Romer et al., 2006

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Metadata

Authors
Romer, D., Jamieson, P. E., & Jamieson, K. H.
Affiliations
University of Pennsylvania (US)
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Communication
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2006-04-26
Volume
56
Issue
2
Pages
253-270
ISSN
  • 0021-9916 (ISSN-L)
  • 1460-2466
DOI
10.1111/j.1460-2466.2006.00018.x
OpenAlex
W2007356361
Cited by
74
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 5
FWCI
2.58
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
doi.wiley.com/10.1002/tdm_license_1.1 (tdm, 3415 d)
Locations
Journal of Communication (publishedVersion)
Funders
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
  • Social Sciences › Communication › Media Influence and Health
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse
Keywords
suicide contagion, suicide news coverage, local television news, newspaper reports, suicide mortality, age differences, media influence, interpersonal influence

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