We should be very aware of how we talk about suicide—privately, in public, and in the press. Let’s all resolve to NOT talk about suicide in these four ways that are harmful. There is research evidence to show that the way suicide is reported in the media can have harmful effects and even lead to increased rates of suicide.
Here are four DON’Ts in talking about suicide:
1. Don’t use words that imply that suicide is a crime or sin, e.g., “committed suicide.”
Instead, use the terms “died by suicide” or “took their own life.”
2. Don’t use words that imply that suicide is a desired outcome, e.g., “successful suicide” “unsuccessful suicide,” “completed suicide,” “failed suicide.”
Instead, use the terms “died by suicide” or “took their own life.”
3. Don’t use words that sensationalize suicide, e.g., “an epidemic of suicide”
4. Don’t use the term “suicide” in other contexts, trivializing the word, e.g., “political suicide”
These “don’ts have been adapted by us from the website https://mindframe.org.au that provides valuable information for how mental health professionals should talk to the media about suicide. It also provides guidance to the media about how to report suicide or suicide attempts.
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