A Dose-Response Relationship Between Imitational Suicides and Newspaper Distribution

The effects of extensive media reports about the suicide of an Austrian celebrity were investigated. The largest Austrian newspaper, reaching almost 50% of the population (with substantial regional differences in distribution), was studied. The number of suicides by firearms in the 3 weeks after the media coverage showed an increase over the 3 weeks prior. Regional analysis revealed a strong correlation of suicides by firearm & distribution of the newspaper. This dose-response effect explains 40% of the variability of changes. Implications of the findings are discussed. (39 refs)