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It was shown in 1974 (Phillips) that suicide rate increased after reporting on it in the media. There is a correlation between it being present and accessible a
by onethought 3y ago
It was shown in 1974 (Phillips) that suicide rate increased after reporting on it in the media. There is a correlation between it being present and accessible as an idea and increase in attempts.
- coldtea 3y agoPeople that will opt for suicide because they become aware from it through the media, are already depressed and feel defeated in life. Following with an action or not is then a technical matter. If the media didn't report on suicide, and they didn't pick it up and go for it, they'd still be living in hell mentally. So, real help would be more about helping them not feel like that (and even more so, to not live in circumstances that cause them to feel like that), than sweeping reports of suicide under the carpet.
- onethought 3y agoI’m sorry, suicide has been shown to be much more acute activity than you are implying. Statistically if you stop someone, or thwart an attempt they do not try again the majority of the time. Any action we do to reduce suicides really does save lives.
- coldtea 3y agoYes. My point wasn't about merely preventing suicide, but about stopping people feeling suicidal, even if they don't consider or go through the actual act. So not so much about saving lives in the technical sense, but about saving people by making them have lives worth living, and see life as such. Preventing things like bullying, abusive parents/spouses, job precarity and homelessness, and so on.
- onethought 3y agoAgree entirely. But it isn’t a dichotomy. We can do both. What you are suggesting is much more root cause. Again, agree!