Cheng Andrew T A, Hawton Keith, Chen Tony H H, Yen Amy M F, Chen Chung-Ying, Chen Lin-Chen, Teng Po-Ren
Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
J Clin Psychiatry. 2007 Jun;68(6):862-6. doi: 10.4088/jcp.v68n0606.
To investigate the impact of media reporting of a celebrity suicide on subsequent suicide attempts.
A Poisson time series autoregression analysis was conducted to examine whether there was a significant increase in suicide attempts during the 3-week period after the start of extensive media reporting of a celebrity suicide. The reporting began on May 2, 2005, and lasted about 17 days. To investigate the influence of media reporting on suicide attempts, a structured interview was conducted with 124 suicide attempters identified from 2 counties in Mid Taiwan who had exposure to the media reporting.
After controlling for seasonal variation, calendar year, temperature, and humidity, there was a marked increase in the number of suicide attempts during the 3-week period after media reporting began (adjusted relative risk = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.26 to 1.91). Among 124 suicide attempters exposed to the media reports, 23.4% reported an influence from them. There was no relationship between the attempters' ages and the age of the celebrity or the method, but male attempters had a significantly higher risk for such influence. A considerably higher risk for such influence was found among subjects with a history of suicide attempt(s) in the previous year (odds ratio = 52.3, 95% CI = 5.96 to 459.1).
The extensive media reporting of the suicide of a celebrity was followed by an increase in suicide attempts. The effect was particularly marked in individuals with a recent history of a suicide attempt. The results provide further support for the need for more restrained reporting of suicides as part of suicide prevention strategies and for special vigilance for contagious effects of such reporting on people who have carried out recent suicidal acts.
探讨媒体对名人自杀事件的报道对随后自杀未遂行为的影响。
进行泊松时间序列自回归分析，以检验在媒体广泛报道名人自杀事件开始后的3周内自杀未遂事件是否有显著增加。报道始于2005年5月2日，持续约17天。为调查媒体报道对自杀未遂行为的影响，对从中部台湾两个县识别出的124名接触过媒体报道的自杀未遂者进行了结构化访谈。
在控制了季节变化、历年、温度和湿度后，媒体报道开始后的3周内自杀未遂事件数量显著增加（调整后的相对风险=1.55，95%可信区间=1.26至1.91）。在124名接触过媒体报道的自杀未遂者中，23.4%报告受到了影响。自杀未遂者的年龄与名人的年龄或自杀方式之间没有关系，但男性自杀未遂者受此类影响的风险显著更高。在前一年有自杀未遂史的受试者中发现受此类影响的风险相当高（优势比=52.3，95%可信区间=5.96至459.1）。
媒体对名人自杀事件的广泛报道之后自杀未遂事件有所增加。这种影响在近期有自杀未遂史的个体中尤为明显。研究结果进一步支持了作为自杀预防策略的一部分，需要更克制地报道自杀事件，以及对这类报道对近期实施过自杀行为的人群的传染效应进行特别警惕。
