Changing the Narrative: How we can Reshape Public Discourse about Suicide to Save Lives

The World Health Organization lists interacting with the media on responsible reporting as one of four key, evidence-based strategies for preventing suicide at a population level. This recommendation arises from what is now a rich body of literature describing the Werther and Papageno effects. The theory underpinning these effects is that social learning can result in imitative behaviours in some people exposed to suicide-related media. To address this, guidelines have been released across the globe encouraging responsible reporting; these mainly include lists of putatively harmful content to be avoided and putatively helpful content to be included in media reports. Yet, there is an emerging confluence of evidence indicating that our approach to media-based suicide prevention may not be placing sufficient emphasis on the overarching narrative of suicide-related stories. This presentation will review recent evidence regarding the kinds of suicide-related media content and narratives that are associated with harms and benefits. In particular, it will draw on the Canadian experience including efforts to improve media discourse which resulted in far greater adherence to guidelines, continued reporting with a focus on harmful overarching narratives, and no reductions in suicide rates. Implications for future approaches to media guidelines and engagement will be discussed.