How does news coverage of suicide affect suicidal behaviour at a high-frequency location? A 7-year time series analysis
Article
Marzano, L., Spence, R., Marsh, I, Barbin, A and Kruger, I 2024. How does news coverage of suicide affect suicidal behaviour at a high-frequency location? A 7-year time series analysis. BMJ Public Health. 3 (1). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2024-002136
| Type | Article |
|---|---|
| Title | How does news coverage of suicide affect suicidal behaviour at a high-frequency location? A 7-year time series analysis |
| Authors | Marzano, L., Spence, R., Marsh, I, Barbin, A and Kruger, I |
| Abstract | Introduction News reporting of suicide can have a significant influence on suicidal behaviour in the general population, especially following the death of a well-known individual. By comparison, the impact of reporting on suicides at well-known, ‘high-frequency’ locations is less well understood. We investigated the relationship between news coverage of suicide and incidents at a high-frequency coastal location in the UK over a 7-year period. Methods We analysed bidirectional associations (with daily and weekly lags) and Granger causality between suicide-related news in the UK (n=38 595, of which 789 focused on cliff locations) and suspected suicides (n=278) and crisis interventions (n=3050) at the site between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2023. Separate subanalyses explored associations with repeat coverage and with headlines featuring explicit location/method details. Results While coverage of incidents at the study site and other coastal locations represents a small and decreasing proportion of all UK news of suicide, 51% of all cliff-related news focused on the study site, often explicitly identified in the story’s headline (81%). There were significant but small (r<0.3) correlations between the volume of news coverage (particularly when method-specific and location-specific) and suicidal behaviour at the site, with fatalities increasing in the immediate aftermath of reporting. This effect was strongest in 2018–2019 (which had the greatest volume of reporting and repeat coverage) but failed to reach significance in 2020–2023, when there were fewer reports, less repeat coverage and no headlines referring to multiple deaths at the site. Conclusions Findings underscore the importance of continued efforts to monitor and improve the quality of news and other media portrayals of suicide. Follow-up studies, including qualitative research with people with lived/living experiences of suicide, could further explore how different types of news stories and wider narratives might contribute to increases—and potentially decreases—in suicides at high-frequency locations. |
| Sustainable Development Goals | 3 Good health and well-being |
| Middlesex University Theme | Health & Wellbeing |
| Research Group | Centre for Abuse and Trauma Studies (CATS) |
| Publisher | BMJ Publishing Group Ltd |
| Journal | BMJ Public Health |
| ISSN | |
| Electronic | 2753-4294 |
| Publication dates | |
| Online | 19 Jan 2025 |
| Jan 2025 | |
| Publication process dates | |
| Submitted | 02 Oct 2024 |
| Accepted | 29 Nov 2024 |
| Deposited | 03 Feb 2025 |
| Output status | Published |
| Publisher's version | License File Access Level Open |
| Copyright Statement | © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2024-002136 |
| PubMed ID | 40017952 |
| PubMed Central ID | PMC11812903 |
| Related Output | |
| Is supplemented by | https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/3/1/e002136#supplementary-materials |
| Language | English |
Permalink -
https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/200251
Download files
19
total views4
total downloads5
views this month3
downloads this month
Export as
Related outputs
Content moderator mental health and associations with coping styles: replication and extension of previous studies
Spence, R. and DeMarco, J. 2025. Content moderator mental health and associations with coping styles: replication and extension of previous studies. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202502.0160.v1Unspoken, unseen, unheard: using arts-based and visual research methods to gain insights into lived experiences of suicide in young adults
Smit, J., Colucci, E. and Marzano, L. 2025. Unspoken, unseen, unheard: using arts-based and visual research methods to gain insights into lived experiences of suicide in young adults. Social Sciences. 14 (2). https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14020062Exploring the use of Virtual Reality to enhance rapid decompression from occupational stress during short wellness breaks for content moderators
Spence, R., Campbell, N., Woofenden, T. and DeMarco, J. 2025. Exploring the use of Virtual Reality to enhance rapid decompression from occupational stress during short wellness breaks for content moderators. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5684444/v1'Understanding domestic violence and abuse: victim, suspect and crime predictors of police outcomes'
Barbin, A., Crivatu, I., Davies, K., Horvath, M.A.H. and Spence, R. 2025. 'Understanding domestic violence and abuse: victim, suspect and crime predictors of police outcomes'. Journal of Family Violence. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-024-00802-zIssues with using police data to investigate offending: a research perspective
Spence, R. and Crivatu, I 2025. Issues with using police data to investigate offending: a research perspective. Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032258x251313944Evaluating suicide prevention gatekeeper training designed to identify and support people from asylum-seeking and refugee backgrounds
MacDonald Hart, S., Colucci, E. and Marzano, L. 2024. Evaluating suicide prevention gatekeeper training designed to identify and support people from asylum-seeking and refugee backgrounds. BMC Public Health. 24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20304-3Content moderator coping strategies: associations with psychological distress, secondary trauma and wellbeing
Spence, R., Martellozzo, E. and DeMarco, J. 2024. Content moderator coping strategies: associations with psychological distress, secondary trauma and wellbeing. Journal of Media Psychology: Theories, Methods, and Applications. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-1105/a000454Editorial: Digital health interventions for schizophrenia: setting standards for mental health
Torous, J., Smith, K.A., Hardy, A., Vinnikova, A., Blease, C., Milligan, L., Hidalgo-Mazzei, D., Lambe, S., Marzano, L., Uhlhaas, P.J., Ostinelli, E.G., Anmella, G., Zangani, C., Aronica, R., Dwyer, B. and Cipriani, A. 2024. Editorial: Digital health interventions for schizophrenia: setting standards for mental health. Schizophrenia Research. 267, pp. 392-295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2024.04.013Digital mental health in schizophrenia and other severe mental illness: an international consensus on current challenges and potential solutions
Smith, K., Hardy, A., Vinnikova, A., Blease, C., Milligan, L., Hidalgo-Mazzei, D., Lambe, S., Marzano, L., Uhlhaas, P., Ostinelli, E., Anmella, G., Zangani, C., Aronica, R., Dwyer, B., Torous, J. and Cipriani, A. 2024. Digital mental health in schizophrenia and other severe mental illness: an international consensus on current challenges and potential solutions. JMIR Mental Health. 11, pp. 1-22. https://doi.org/10.2196/57155Characteristics and circumstances of rail suicides in England 2019-2021: a cluster analysis and autopsy study
Norman, H., Marzano, L., Fields, B., Brown, S., MacDonald Hart, S. and Kruger, I. 2024. Characteristics and circumstances of rail suicides in England 2019-2021: a cluster analysis and autopsy study . Journal of Affective Disorders. 354, pp. 397-407. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.020Content moderator mental health, secondary trauma, and well-being: a cross-sectional study
Spence, R., Bifulco, A., Bradbury, P., Martellozzo, E. and DeMarco, J. 2024. Content moderator mental health, secondary trauma, and well-being: a cross-sectional study. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. 27 (2), pp. 149-155. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2023.0298Supporting digital key workers: Addressing the challenges faced by content moderators during and after the COVID-19 pandemic
Martellozzo, E., Bleakley, P., Bradbury, P., Spence, R. and DeMarco, J. 2024. Supporting digital key workers: Addressing the challenges faced by content moderators during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Technology, Policy and Management. 24 (2), pp. 212-228. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJTPM.2024.137818The psychological impacts of content moderation on content moderators: a qualitative study
Spence, R., Bifulco, A., Bradbury, P., Martellozzo, E. and DeMarco, J. 2023. The psychological impacts of content moderation on content moderators: a qualitative study. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace. 17 (4). https://doi.org/10.5817/cp2023-4-8Moderating online child sexual abuse material (CSAM): does self-regulation work, or is greater state regulation needed?
Bleakley, P., Martellozzo, E., Spence, R. and DeMarco, J. 2023. Moderating online child sexual abuse material (CSAM): does self-regulation work, or is greater state regulation needed? European Journal of Criminology. 21 (2), pp. 231-250. https://doi.org/10.1177/14773708231181361A police-led real-time surveillance system for suspected suicides in Great Britain
Marzano, L., Norman, H., Sohal, B., Hawton, K. and Mann, R. 2023. A police-led real-time surveillance system for suspected suicides in Great Britain. BMJ Mental Health. 26 (1). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjment-2022-300643Linguistic profile automated characterisation in pluripotential clinical high-risk mental state (CHARMS) conditions: methodology of a multicentre observational study
Magnani, L., Carmisciano, L., dell’Orletta, F., Bettinardi, O., Chiesa, S., Imbesi, M., Limonta, G., Montagna, E., Turone, I., Martinasso, D., Aguglia, A., Serafini, G., Amore, M., Costanza, A., Sibilla, F., Calcagno, P., Patti, S., Molino, G., Escelsior, A., Trabucco, A., Marzano, L., Brunato, D., Ravelli, A., Cappucciati, M., Fiocchi, R., Guerzoni, G., Maravita, D., Macchetti, F., Mori, E., Paglia, C., Roscigno, F. and Saginario, A. 2023. Linguistic profile automated characterisation in pluripotential clinical high-risk mental state (CHARMS) conditions: methodology of a multicentre observational study. BMJ Open. 13. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066642Factors prompting and deterring suicides on the roads
Norman, H., Marzano, L., Winter, R., Ioana, C., Mackenzie, J. and Marsh, I. 2023. Factors prompting and deterring suicides on the roads. BJPsych Open. 9 (3). https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2023.52Content moderators’ strategies for coping with the stress of moderating content online
Spence, R., Harrison, A., Bradbury, P., Bleakley, P., Martellozzo, E. and DeMarco, J. 2023. Content moderators’ strategies for coping with the stress of moderating content online. Journal of Online Trust and Safety. 1 (5), pp. 1-18. https://doi.org/10.54501/jots.v1i5.91Media coverage and speculation about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide: a content analysis of UK news
Marzano, L., Hawley, M., Fraser, L., Lainez, Y., Marsh, J. and Hawton, K. 2023. Media coverage and speculation about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide: a content analysis of UK news. BMJ Open. 13 (2). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-065456Quality traceability for user-centric context-aware systems in intelligent environments
Sakanga, N., Augusto, J., Brodie, L. and Marzano, L. 2022. Quality traceability for user-centric context-aware systems in intelligent environments. Work-07: Digital Innovation for people well-being: Healthcare and Agriculture perspectives . Yokohama, Japan 07 Nov 2022 IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/WF-IoT54382.2022.10152209Understanding sexual violence and factors related to police outcomes
Davies, K., Spence, R., Cummings, E., Cross, M. and Horvath, M. 2022. Understanding sexual violence and factors related to police outcomes. Frontiers in Psychology. 13, pp. 1-13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.977318"My heart and my brain is what's bleeding, these are just cuts." An interpretative phenomenological analysis of young women's experiences of self-harm
Norman, H., Marzano, L., Oskis, A. and Coulson, M. 2022. "My heart and my brain is what's bleeding, these are just cuts." An interpretative phenomenological analysis of young women's experiences of self-harm. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 13, pp. 1-7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.914109Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on reporting of rape, serious sexual offences, and domestic abuse in one English police force
Spence, R., Horvath, M., Dalton, C. and Davies, K. 2022. Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on reporting of rape, serious sexual offences, and domestic abuse in one English police force. Journal of Gender-Based Violence. 6 (2), pp. 242-260. https://doi.org/10.1332/239868021X16425806897258Have news reports on suicide and attempted suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic adhered to guidance on safer reporting? A UK-wide content analysis study
Marzano, L., Hawley, M., Fraser, L., Harris-Skillma, E., Lainez, Y. and Hawton, K. 2022. Have news reports on suicide and attempted suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic adhered to guidance on safer reporting? A UK-wide content analysis study. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention. https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000856Criminal court sentencing: the case for specialist ‘young adult’ courts
Ward, J. and Spence, R. 2022. Criminal court sentencing: the case for specialist ‘young adult’ courts. The British Journal of Criminology: An International Review of Crime and Society. 63 (4), pp. 1041-1057. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azac076The moderation effect of secure attachment on the relationship between positive events and wellbeing
Spence, R., Kagan, L., Nunn, S., Bailey-Rodriguez, D., Fisher, H., Hosang, G. and Bifulco, A. 2022. The moderation effect of secure attachment on the relationship between positive events and wellbeing. PsyCh Journal. 11 (4), pp. 541-549. https://doi.org/10.1002/pchj.546Intervening to prevent suicide at railway locations: findings from a qualitative study with front-line staff and rail commuters
Katsampa, D., Mackenzie, J., Crivatu, I. and Marzano, L. 2022. Intervening to prevent suicide at railway locations: findings from a qualitative study with front-line staff and rail commuters. BJPsych Open. 8 (2), pp. 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2022.27Representing suicide: giving voice to a desire to die?
Marsh, I., Winter, R. and Marzano, L. 2022. Representing suicide: giving voice to a desire to die? Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Study of Health, Illness and Medicine. 26 (1), pp. 10-26. https://doi.org/10.1177/13634593211046843Life events, depression and supportive relationships affect academic achievement in university students
Spence, R., Kagan, L., Nunn, S., Bailey-Rodriguez, D., Fisher, H., Hosang, G. and Bifulco, A. 2022. Life events, depression and supportive relationships affect academic achievement in university students. Journal of American College Health. 70 (7), pp. 1931-1935. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1841776
"Hard to say, hard to understand, hard to live": possible associations between neurologic language impairments and suicide risk
Costanza, A., Amerio, A., Aguglia, A., Magnani, L., Serafini, G., Amore, M., Merli, R., Ambrosetti, J., Bondolfi, G., Marzano, L. and Berardelli, I. 2021. "Hard to say, hard to understand, hard to live": possible associations between neurologic language impairments and suicide risk. Brain Sciences. 11 (12). https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11121594"I can’t describe it and they can’t see the rain." an interpretative phenomenological analysis of the experience of self-harm in young adults who report difficulties identifying and describing their feelings
Norman, H., Marzano, L., Oskis, A. and Coulson, M. 2023. "I can’t describe it and they can’t see the rain." an interpretative phenomenological analysis of the experience of self-harm in young adults who report difficulties identifying and describing their feelings. Current Psychology. 42 (12), pp. 10151-10162. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02273-7The relationship between alexithymia and self-harm: the mediating role of mindfulness
Norman, H., Marzano, L., Oskis, A. and Coulson, M. 2021. The relationship between alexithymia and self-harm: the mediating role of mindfulness. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01553-6Reporting on suicidal behaviour and COVID-19—need for caution
Hawton, K., Marzano, L., Fraser, L., Hawley, M., Harris-Skillma, E. and Lainez, Y. 2021. Reporting on suicidal behaviour and COVID-19—need for caution. The Lancet Psychiatry. 8 (1), pp. 15-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30484-3Understanding trauma in children and young people in the school setting
Spence, R., Kagan, L., Kljakovic, M. and Bifulco, A. 2021. Understanding trauma in children and young people in the school setting. Educational and Child Psychology. 38 (1), pp. 87-98.The child attachment style interview (Child-ASI) and depression: preliminary findings
Bifulco, A., Jacobs, C., Oskis, A., Bunn, A. and Spence, R. 2021. The child attachment style interview (Child-ASI) and depression: preliminary findings. Educational and Child Psychology. 38 (1), pp. 62-74.Suicidal behavior in individuals accused or convicted of child sex abuse or indecent image offenses: systematic review of prevalence and risk factors
Key, R., Underwood, A., Farnham, F., Marzano, L. and Hawton, K. 2021. Suicidal behavior in individuals accused or convicted of child sex abuse or indecent image offenses: systematic review of prevalence and risk factors. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. 51 (4), pp. 715-728. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12749Patterns and motivations for method choices in suicidal thoughts and behaviour: qualitative content analysis of a large online survey
Marzano, L., Katsampa, D., Mackenzie, J., Kruger, A., El-Gharbawi, N., Ffolkes-St-Helene, D., Mohiddin, H. and Fields, B. 2021. Patterns and motivations for method choices in suicidal thoughts and behaviour: qualitative content analysis of a large online survey. BJPsych Open. 7 (2), pp. 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2021.15First-person accounts of the processes and planning involved in a suicide attempt on the railway
Marsh, I., Marzano, L., Mosse, D. and Mackenzie, J. 2021. First-person accounts of the processes and planning involved in a suicide attempt on the railway. BJPsych Open. 7 (1). https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2020.173Exposure to and experience of self-harm and self-harm related content: an exploratory network analysis
Kirtley, O., Hussey, I. and Marzano, L. 2021. Exposure to and experience of self-harm and self-harm related content: an exploratory network analysis. Psychiatry Research. 295, pp. 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113572Ketamine treatment for individuals with treatment-resistant depression: a longitudinal qualitative interview study of patient experiences
Lascelles, K., Marzano, L., Brand, F., Trueman, H., McShane, R. and Hawton, K. 2021. Ketamine treatment for individuals with treatment-resistant depression: a longitudinal qualitative interview study of patient experiences. BJPsych Open. 7 (1), pp. 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2020.132Life events and emotional disorder revisited: research and clinical applications
Bifulco, A., Spence, R. and Kagan, L. 2020. Life events and emotional disorder revisited: research and clinical applications. London, UK Routledge.Overwhelmed and powerless: staff perspectives on mother - infant separations in English prisons
Powell, C., Ciclitira, K. and Marzano, L. 2020. Overwhelmed and powerless: staff perspectives on mother - infant separations in English prisons. Journal of Criminal Psychology. 10 (4), pp. 311-328. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCP-04-2020-0017Covid-19: the last call for telepsychiatry
Amerio, A., Odone, A., Marzano, L., Costanza, A., Aguglia, A., Serafini, G., Signorelli, C., Ghaemi, S. and Amore, M. 2020. Covid-19: the last call for telepsychiatry. Acta Biomedica. 91 (3). https://doi.org/10.23750/abm.v91i3.10337The relationship between self-harm and alexithymia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Norman, H., Oskis, A., Marzano, L. and Coulson, M. 2020. The relationship between self-harm and alexithymia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. 61 (6), pp. 855-876. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12668Partner violence in women - associations with childhood maltreatment, attachment style and major depression
Bifulco, A., Damiani, R., Jacobs, C., Bunn, A. and Spence, R. 2019. Partner violence in women - associations with childhood maltreatment, attachment style and major depression. Maltrattamento E Abuso All’infanzia: Rivista Interdisciplinare. 21 (2), pp. 13-28. https://doi.org/10.3280/MAL2019-002002