Do's and Dont's for Reporting on Suicide | Psychology Today

Original URL: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-recovery-coach/202411/dos-and-donts-for-reporting-on-suicide

Author: David Susman, Ph.D.

Date Published: 2024-11-21

Date Visited: 2025-01-15

From Kurt Cobain to Robin Williams to Naomi Judd, the list of publicly reported deaths by suicide is ever growing longer. Dialogue about depictions of suicide or suicide attempts in television shows such as the series 13 Reasons Why only adds to the global conversation about the public-health concerns surrounding suicide.

We know from previous studies (Stack, 2003) that irresponsible coverage of suicide in the media can increase the likelihood of suicidal behavior in vulnerable individuals. So it’s important to think about how we talk and write about suicide in the media and elsewhere.

I was reminded recently of an excellent resource addressing the responsible reporting and discussion of suicide. “Best Practices and Recommendations for Reporting on Suicide” offers useful and concrete guidelines on how to talk and write about suicide in the media. Let’s review and summarize this list of do’s and don’ts.

  1. Don’t use sensationalistic headlines with specific details about the method of suicide. Do inform without sensationalizing the suicide and without providing details in the headline.
  2. Don’t include photos or videos of the location or method of death, or of grieving family or friends at funerals. Do use a school or work photo; include suicide hotline numbers or local crisis contacts.
  3. Don’t describe suicide as “an epidemic,” “skyrocketing,” or other exaggerated terms. Do use accurate words such as “higher rates” or “rising.”
  4. Don’t describe a suicide as “without warning” or “inexplicable.” Do convey that people exhibit warning signs of suicide and include a list of common warning signs and ways to intervene when someone is suicidal.
  5. Don’t say, “She left a suicide note saying…” Do say, “A note from the deceased was found.”
  6. Don’t investigate and report on suicide as though it is a crime. Do report on suicide as a public health issue.
  7. Don’t quote police or first responders about the causes of suicide. Do seek advice and information from suicide prevention experts.
  8. Don’t refer to suicide as “successful,” “unsuccessful,” or a “failed attempt.” Avoid the use of “committed suicide,” which is an antiquated reference from a time when suicidal acts or attempts were punished as crimes. Do say “died by suicide,” “completed suicide,” or “killed him/herself.”

In addition, it’s recommended to inform readers and listeners about many effective treatment options, recount stories of those who overcame a suicidal crisis and provide other resources for assistance.

In case you need a refresher on some of the common warning signs of suicide, they include:

Displaying more of these signs can indicate a greater risk for suicide.

If you know someone who exhibits the warning signs of suicide:

Also, be familiar with crisis resource organizations:

It’s important to review these basic recommendations for how to write and talk about suicide regularly for three reasons: So we can all be better equipped to talk about suicide with greater sensitivity and accuracy; to recognize when someone is displaying warning signs of suicide; and to know about ways to assist someone in crisis to get appropriate help and treatment. Finally, it’s critical to share this information widely with others to spread the word so we can all raise our awareness about these life-saving strategies.

Copyright David Susman 2024.

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