GPA mental health workshop Inappropriate reporting can lead to copycat suicides

Jul 21, 2019 News

Alluding to studies, which show that inappropriate reporting on suicide can lead to copycat scenarios, facilitators of a mental health workshop yesterday, urged media operatives to report in a manner, which is responsible enough to avert a repeat of suicide.
The mental workshop was organised by the British High Commission in collaboration with the Guyana Press Association (GPA).
The seminar was intended to sensitise media operatives to the importance of maintaining high media ethics when reporting on sensitive issues like mental health and suicide. The initiative was supported by University of Guyana, the Ministry of Public Health, and the Samaritans.
Psychologist Raiza Khan told media workers of the harmful effects of sensational coverage of suicide and attempted suicide cases.
According to Khan, headlines in newspaper/television reports, which glorify or normalise suicide can lead persons already contemplating suicide to cause further harm to themselves. She noted that in many instances, the information can help a person further attempt suicide or follow through with the act.
The psychologist warned too that media workers should avoid language, which presents it as a solution to problems. She alluded to the danger of presenting details of how a suicide was committed in the articles or news pieces
She emphasised that reporters should be wary of giving their viewers and readers prone to the mental health issue, ideas of how to complete the vile intentions.
Khan said, too, that the media should avoid publishing graphic descriptions or images that can give already vulnerable audiences ideas how to commit suicide.
On the other hand, Khan, who manages the Anira Counselling and Psychological Services, said that the media can provide information about where to seek help.
In her PowerPoint presentation, Head of the Mental Health Unit at the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Util Richmond Thomas pointed to a dip in the suicide rate since 2016 —when Guyana had the highest suicide rate in the world. Dr. Thomas noted that the media has a vital role to play in ensuring that number of suicides keeps declining.
She noted that the media can help point persons struggling with mental health issues to where they can access help.
She noted that in addition, there are a number of other mental health issues plaguing the local populace. These include depression, psychosis, post partum depression, and substance abuse disorders.
Behaviorial Scientist and University of Guyana Lecturer, Dr Paloma Mohamed, meanwhile charged the gathering to be more sensitive when reporting on mental health issues. She noted that there are a number of social factors, which could spur mental health problems.
Addressing the copycat scenario, she said that people battling suicidal thoughts tend to copy others in similar social grouping who have killed themselves.
People also intend to want to follow people that they idolize like celebrities When famous people like the actor, Robin Williams, kill themselves and it is reported, more often than not the there is a spike in attempted suicide rates
Dr Mohamed charged reporters to treat mental health issues with balance and accuracy. She stressed however that media should be sensitive and mimimize harm when reporting on such matters.
According to PAHO’s 2017 report, suicide – a societal ill that is to be held culpable for the loss of a vast number of the younger demographic– is presently showing an alarming trend within Guyana.
The Adolescent and Youth Health Report, suicide was cited as the leading cause of death amongst persons within the age range 15 to 24 years, an alarming number that accounts for more than half of the deaths in persons between 20 and 24.
However, once delved into, the report revealed that the higher percentage of these suicides was found in males. Guyana’s Mental Health Unit on combating these figures is implementing a litany of measures that are expected to greatly reduce the suicide statistics within Guyana.
The unit also has a self-harm programme, which can be recognized as a major contributing factor for the reduction of Guyana’s suicide rate, which is currently at 24.6 percent.

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