When the topic of suicide is in the news, sensationalized media increases risk
to many people already vulnerable to suicide. The language used to report
tragedies and trends can make all the difference. Consciously choosing safe
messaging reduces the suicide exposure effect. Here's how and why.
For much of 2020, news media speculated about a potential
"epidemic" of skyrocketing suicide rates as a result of the stressors
and social strains related to the pandemic. For those of us in the work of
suicide prevention, we urged for more conservative coverage. Why? Because we
know that sensationalized media coverage around the topic of suicide runs the
risk of developing what we call a cultural script.
Some journalists—unknowingly or intentionally—report in ways that, research
has shown, increases suicide risk. Many elements of their
reporting—romanticizing, glamorizing, gratuitously detailing the means of
death, or depicting the death scene—are considered unsafe reporting practices
and have been shown to contribute to an uptick in suicide attempts and deaths
in the days and weeks following a celebrity's suicide. Some media outlets
do outstanding work reporting these newsworthy events with sensitivity. They
follow practices that can help people find hope and link to life-saving
resources like the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Decades of research summarized in the Suicide Prevention Resource Center
safe messaging reference guide encourage those giving public communications
about suicide to follow these suggestions.1
- Portray help-seeking as a reasonable action.
- Provide resources people can choose to reach out for support.
- Give people who are willing to help others something to do.
- While you may want to communicate the importance of the issue, be careful
not to normalize suicide.
- Emphasize that suicide can be prevented and treated successfully.
- Help distressed individuals to feel competent that they can do what needs
to be done.
- Avoid giving very specific details of the tragedy.
Say this |
Instead of this |
Died of suicide |
Committed suicide |
Suicide death |
Successful attempt |
Suicide attempt |
Unsuccessful attempt |
Person living with suicidal thoughts or behavior |
Suicide ideator or attempter |
Suicide |
Completed suicide |
(Describe the behavior) |
Manipulative, cry for help, or suicidal gesture |
Working with |
Dealing with suicidal crisis |
The Power of Words
Language matters when discussing issues of suicide. Language reflects our
attitudes and influences our attitudes and the attitudes of others. Words have
power; words matter. The language we choose is an indicator of social injustice
and has the power to shape our ideas and feelings in very insidious ways.
Phrases To Describe Suicide
For example, the phrase "committed suicide" is frowned on because
it harks back to an era when suicide was considered a sin or a crime. Think
about the times when we use the word "commit": "commit
adultery" or "commit murder." Similarly, "successful
suicide" or "unsuccessful attempt" are considered poor choices
because they connote an achievement or something positive even though they
result in tragic outcomes.
Putting People First
Likewise, using "suicide" as a noun to describe a person
("the suicide was wheeled into the morgue") is considered
dehumanizing and reductionist. When we identify a person solely by their mental
illness ("They are bipolar."), we diminish that individual's
wholeness. We wouldn't say, "They were a heart attack." Instead,
we need to define a person by their life, not the manner of death, and say,
"They were a person who died of suicide. They also loved to play golf,
brew beer, and climb mountains." Or: "They are a teacher, writer, and
animal lover who lives with a bipolar condition." So, let's put people
first and focus on their resilience. Instead of "suicide attempter,"
we can say, "They are a person who has lived through a suicide
attempt."
The litmus test for talking about suicide is to substitute the word
"cancer" for the word "suicide" to see if the sentence
still makes sense or if it has a negative connotation. We wouldn't say
"committed cancer" or "successful cancer." We would simply
say "cancer death" or "died of cancer." Thus, when it comes
to suicide, we should say "suicide death" or "died of
suicide."
We should also be wary of assuming intent when we use the phrases "cry
for help" or "suicide gesture." This line of thinking can be a
slippery slope. Instead of dismissing these suicidal behaviors as not serious,
we should lean in and better understand what function they are serving in a
person's life. Perhaps, we can get that need met in another way.
"Suicide Is Selfish"
In his book Myths about Suicide, Dr. Thomas Joiner goes to great
lengths to dispute this common narrative of suicide as a selfish act. While it
may appear that those who die of suicide are not taking into consideration the
impact that their death will have on loved ones, there is much evidence to the
contrary. The mind of a suicidal person is distorted and often holds the belief
that they will be lessening their burden on loved ones by no longer being
around. Avoid using this type of storyline.
"It Was Their Choice"
The idea of choice or free will is often discouraged when talking about
suicide because thinking is often very impaired at the time of death.
Sometimes, individuals in the throes of unimaginable emotional pain are not
entirely capable of making a rational decision because their depression,
addiction, or other mental health condition often prevents them from generating
alternative solutions to their problems. Many people I have interviewed who
have survived a very intense suicide crisis report that they experienced
something akin to command hallucinations right before they attempted—voices
inside their heads telling them to kill themselves.
At an American Association of Suicidology conference, Donna Schuurman
challenged the audience to look up definitions of suicide. So, I
did. Merriam-Webster2 defines it as
"the act or an instance of taking one's own life voluntarily and
intentionally."
The concept of "choice" is confusing because, while we never have
direct access to the inner workings of the mind of someone who has died by
suicide, there is much evidence that the thought processes are often gravely
disordered by the effects of trauma, mental health conditions, and substance
abuse. If a person can't choose rationally due to impairment of the mind,
the decision is not a choice.
The concept of "choice" is especially confusing to those bereaved
by suicide. On the one hand, survivors of suicide loss who tried to keep their
loved ones alive over time find the notion comforting. Even though they did all
they could to prolong life, the final "decision" ultimately rested
with the suicidal individual. On the other hand, survivors of suicide loss
sometimes cannot fathom why their loved ones would choose death over love or
the possibility of a better life.
Getting Positive Messages Out There: Hope, Strength, and Healing
A few passionate resilience advocates can only go so far in changing the
culture of mental health promotion and suicide prevention. We need workplaces,
schools, faith communities, and healthcare systems to model safe and
compassionate language to help challenge existing misinformation and myths. We
must learn to disseminate our messages to large numbers of people effectively.
To do this, we need to craft safe and powerful messages, work collaboratively
with traditional media outlets, and use social media strategically.
Crafting Effective Messages about Suicide: Hope Is the Antidote
Suicide prevention is a hard sell. As a result, well-meaning health
professionals often make serious errors when crafting messages for suicide
prevention. We have a tendency to think that we need to grab the public's
attention through graphic and scary messages when that just tends to turn
people off. Instead, we need to think about aligning with our audience's
beliefs, values, priorities, and needs.3 We must
craft messages that are positively engaging, provide people with the
information we want them to remember, and give them action steps.
Instead of just "raising awareness" by sharing statistics of
suicide death, we can inspire hope by sharing stories of recovery and letting
them know that help is available. Kevin Hines's story is one that spreads a
ripple of hope around the world. Mr. Hines survived a jump off the Golden Gate
Bridge, and his BuzzFeed video now has over 8 million views on YouTube. His
main message—you are not alone, and brain health is possible. He is a fierce
advocate for mental wellness and lives his message of fighting for a passion
for life every day.
Another positive media campaign developed by the National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline encourages everyone to #BeThe1To to take action to prevent suicide.
The campaign is designed to be adapted to many different communities to help
them move from awareness to proactive prevention—because no one should die in
isolation and despair.
Conclusion
We must talk about suicide if we are going to get in front of it. But HOW we
talk about suicide matters. Unsafe messages and data that leave us feeling that
"suicide is an epidemic" can create harm. Instead, let's focus on
messages and stories that inspire hope and healing, and share resources that
help people through their despair.