U.S. Suicide Rate Significantly Increased After Robin Williams' Death
A new study has revealed that the suicide rates in the U.S. increased significantly following the devastating death of well-loved and sorely missed actor Robin Williams. Known as copycat suicide, the authors further warned the media industry of the negative side effects of the details they report in their news.
"Our work adds evidence about the relationship between celebrity suicide, the subsequent media coverage of the event, and subsequent suicide deaths. The number of excess deaths was greatest among men and persons 30–44 years, while suffocation deaths increased over all other suicide methods," the authors said in their study. "Although we cannot determine with certainty that the excess suicides were attributable to news media reports on Williams' death, Williams' death might have provided the necessary stimulus for high-risk segments of the U.S. population (e.g., middle-aged men in despair) to move from suicidal ideation to attempt."
Further reports reveal that following the reveal of Williams' death, there was significant increase in mentions of death and suicide, especially in suicide forums. Although the researchers acknowledged the possibility of another event compounding the results, they contend that it would be unlikely. More than 18,000 suicide deaths were counted between August 2014, when Williams died, and December 2014. This means that in contrast to the more or less 16,000 cases that they were expecting, Williams' death unintentionally caused a ripple effect across the country.
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Considering how TV series, such as Netflix's "13 Reasons Why" showcase sensitive topics like suicide, the study is evidence to the need of the media to be cautious about their content so as not to influence the minds of their viewers. More information is expected to be revealed in the coming months, as further studies are conducted. In the meantime, fans are advised to stay tuned for more updates.
