Preventing Suicide by Influencing Mass-Media Reporting. The Viennese Experience 1980-1996

This paper reports a field experiment concerning mass media & suicide. The Austrian Association for Suicide Prevention developed media guidelines & launched a media campaign in mid-1987. Subsequently, media reports charged markedly & the number of subway suicides & attempts dropped more than 80% from the first to the second half of 1987, remaining at a rather low level since. Conclusions regarding the possible reduction of imitative suicidal behaviour by influencing mass media reports are drawn. Experiences from the media campaign are presented as well as considerations about further research. (19 refs.)