The Role of Media in Suicide and Self-Harm: Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives

<p dir="ltr">Suicide and self-harm persistently remain significant public health concerns. Annually, suicide accounts for 800,000 deaths worldwide, while deliberate self-harm shows high prevalence among adolescents with lifetime prevalence rates around 18% in community samples worldwide. While a complex set of factors contribute to suicidal and self-harming behaviors, growing evidence suggests that media, including traditional, digital, and social media, can play a vital role in shaping public understanding of suicide and self-harm and influencing actual behaviors.</p><p dir="ltr">Media portrayals of suicide and self-harm can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, irresponsible media coverage and emotionally charged user-generated content may cast an adverse influence on suicidal and self-harming behaviors. On the other hand, media can be leveraged to disseminate reliable health resources, reach out to underserved populations, augment prevention and intervention effort, and destigmatize suicide and self-harm through awareness campaigns and health education.</p><p dir="ltr">Our aim is to bring together cross-disciplinary perspectives on the roles of media in suicide and self-harm research, intervention and promotion, and generate new theories to guide the field’s development in responding to the ever-changing media environment. Furthermore, it aims to inform organizations working on suicide and self-harm prevention to better plan for their own media and communication strategies.</p><p dir="ltr">This Research Topic regards suicide and self-harm as two behaviorally distinguishable yet interrelated concepts. Given the considerable overlap between self-harm with and without suicidal intent, and the fact that self-harm is a significant risk factor for suicide, we consider these two behaviors can be conceptualized along the continuum. Getting a greater understanding of the roles played by media in suicide and self-harm, including traditional (e.g. TV programs, radio programs, movies, pop music, books, newspapers, magazines) and newer media (e.g. websites, online forums, social media, mobile apps), is vital for future intervention and prevention efforts.</p>