The emotional impact and ease of recall of warning signs for suicide: a controlled study.

In light of concerns about potential iatrogenic effects of information about suicide, in the current study we examined the emotional impact of reading a list of warning signs for suicide in comparison to comparable lists for heart attacks and diabetes. All participants read two sets of warning signs, with the experimental group reading the suicide warning signs. Results confirm no difference in emotional impact across groups, along with providing evidence that warning signs for suicide are as easy to recall after exposure as warning signs for heart attack. Implications for pubic health campaigns are discussed.