Suicide and the media: From Werther to Papageno effects — a selective literature review

A considerable number of studies have shown that sensationalist portrayals of suicide in the media trigger imitational suicides, often referred to as Werther effect. In order to prevent harmful media effects, media recommendations  for suicide reporting have been developed and implemented by national and international organizations in order to change the conversation on suicide and include and emphasize suicide-preventive  aspects. In the last decade, additional evidence is emerging that some media portrayals of suicidality might help prevent suicide. Specifically, media portrayals featuring stories of personal experience of suicidal ideation and  how to overcome and cope with adverse circumstances have been shown to decrease suicidality in some audiences. This protective effect has been labeled Papageno effect. In this paper, we provide a selective review of current  literature on the Werther and Papageno effects for different types of media and put a particular emphasis on new evidence on the Papageno effect from randomized controlled trials. We highlight how the combined evidence of media effects on suicide and/or suicidal ideation can help suicide prevention by collaboration with the media, and point to specific gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed in future research.