Suicide Reporting in Swiss Print Media: Responsible or Irresponsible?

Swiss newspaper articles with suicide or attempted suicide as the main topic were collected over a time span of 8 months. The aim was to investigate a potential imitation effect & the extent of preventive messages given. Results show that approximately 40% of all 151 articles were inappropriate & were considered as bearing a high potential for imitation effect. Relevant preventive information was only given in 10% of all cases. Media guidelines for suicide reporting are needed. (14 refs)