Abstract
Purpose
The impact of media reporting on copycat suicides has been well established in various cases of celebrity suicide. However,
knowledge is limited about the spatial and temporal relationship between suicide death and media reporting over a long period
of time. This study investigated the association of suicide deaths with suicide news in longitudinal and spatial dimensions.
knowledge is limited about the spatial and temporal relationship between suicide death and media reporting over a long period
of time. This study investigated the association of suicide deaths with suicide news in longitudinal and spatial dimensions.
Methods
All suicides during 2003–2010 (n = 31,364) were included. Suicide news in the study period was retrieved from Google News, and included all available news
media in Taiwan. Empirical mode decomposition was used to identify the main intrinsic oscillation, reflecting both major and
minor suicide events, and time-dependent intrinsic correlation was used to quantify the temporal correlation between suicide
deaths and suicide news.
media in Taiwan. Empirical mode decomposition was used to identify the main intrinsic oscillation, reflecting both major and
minor suicide events, and time-dependent intrinsic correlation was used to quantify the temporal correlation between suicide
deaths and suicide news.
Results
The media reporting of suicide was synchronized with increased suicide deaths during major suicide events such as celebrity
death, and slightly lagged behind the suicide deaths for 1 month in other periods without notable celebrity deaths. The means
of suicide reported in the media diversely affected the suicide models. Reports of charcoal burning suicide exhibited an exclusive
copycat effect on actual charcoal burning deaths, whereas media reports of jumping had a wide association with various suicide
models. Media reports of suicide had a higher association with suicide deaths in urban than in rural areas.
death, and slightly lagged behind the suicide deaths for 1 month in other periods without notable celebrity deaths. The means
of suicide reported in the media diversely affected the suicide models. Reports of charcoal burning suicide exhibited an exclusive
copycat effect on actual charcoal burning deaths, whereas media reports of jumping had a wide association with various suicide
models. Media reports of suicide had a higher association with suicide deaths in urban than in rural areas.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Paper
- Pages 1-9
- DOI 10.1007/s00127-012-0562-1
- Authors
- Albert C. Yang, Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Sec. 2, Shipai Road, Beitou District, Taipei, 11217 Taiwan, Republic of China
- Shih-Jen Tsai, Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Sec. 2, Shipai Road, Beitou District, Taipei, 11217 Taiwan, Republic of China
- Cheng-Hung Yang, Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Sec. 2, Shipai Road, Beitou District, Taipei, 11217 Taiwan, Republic of China
- Ben-Chang Shia, Department of Statistics and Information Science, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Jong-Ling Fuh, Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Shuu-Jiun Wang, Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Chung-Kang Peng, Margret and H. A. Rey Institute for Nonlinear Dynamics in Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Norden E. Huang, Center for Dynamical Biomarkers and Translational Medicine, National Central University, Chungli, Taiwan, Republic of China
- Journal Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
- Online ISSN 1433-9285
- Print ISSN 0933-7954