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Abstract
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OBJECTIVE: Taiwan enacted the Suicide Prevention Act in June 2019. Inappropriate media reports about suicide have been regulated to prevent media-transmitted suicide risks since then. It is unknown if there were any differences in the number and pattern of suicide reports after the Act. The study examined how this Act affected suicide reporting trends two years before and after 2019.
METHODS: We first analyzed the numbers of suicide news reports per month two years before and after the implementation of the law. Then we looked into the compliance rate of the WHO six ＂Dos＂ and six ＂Don'ts＂ of the responsible reporting guideline on suicide during the same period. Finally, we investigated the ratio of various types of photos published in suicide news in this time slot.
RESULTS: First, after the law was passed, suicide news reporting was significantly decreased especially in the first year after the Act. There was a slight upward trend one year after. Second, as for the compliance rate of the WHO reporting guideline, it was almost the same before and after the Act. The only significant differences were ＂don't simplify the reasons for suicide＂ (increased from 38.7% to 58.3%) and ＂don't publish photographs or suicide notes＂ (decreased from 19.2% to 10%). Third, suicide news photos that are ＂non-publishable＂ had a decreasing trend, whereas those with ＂conditional publication＂ had an increasing trend.
CONCLUSION: National legislation of the Taiwan Suicide Prevention Act plays an important role to establish the consensus on appropriate suicide reporting based on international criteria. The Act has an effect of reduction in the number of media reporting on suicide and enhancement of more responsible reporting within two years. However, the adherence to proper management of photos shown in suicide news should be followed up in the longer term.
Language: en |