Citation

Dillman Carpentier FR, Parrott MS. Health Commun. 2016; 31(11): 1334-1344.

Affiliation

College of Communication & Information Sciences , University of Alabama.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/10410236.2015.1056329

PMID

26984641

Abstract

Young adults (N = 357) were surveyed following the suicide of celebrity Robin Williams to better understand how involvement with the actor and emotional responses to his death influenced searches for information concerning depression, suicide, and mental health. Emotional distress following the actor's death mediated the relationship between involvement and certain types of information searches. Most respondents sought information about the celebrity's career, suicide, and depression using portable devices such as smartphones and laptop computers to access news websites for information. Those respondents who sought information about the suicide reported changes in their thoughts about suicide, most often dealing with the difficulty in spotting warning signs and the idea that "it can happen to anyone." Findings suggest placement of health messages within existing material about celebrity announcements on online websites and social media to drive more traffic toward general informational outlets. Messages that acknowledge emotional distress might be best placed within content specific to the celebrity's tragedy, rather than specific to the celebrity's career or performances.

Language: en