The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a shocking report last month about the rise in death by suicide across the country.
In nearly every category of demographics, from men and women, to all races, ethnicities and urbanization levels, the suicide rates have risen.
Suicide is now considered the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. In 2016 alone, starting from ages 10 and older, close to 45,000 Americans committed suicide.
In nearly every state, suicide levels rose across the United States. Some states saw an increase by 6 percent, while others saw a rise in over 30 percent.
“From individuals and communities to employers and healthcare professionals, everyone can play a role in efforts to help save lives and reverse this troubling rise in suicide,” said CDC Principal Deputy Director Anne Schuchat, M.D.
Though mental health is a typically known contributor for the propensity to self-inflicted violence, more than half of those who committed suicide did not have a known diagnosed mental health condition. The CDC noted that substance abuse, financial troubles and relationship stress were contributing factors.
The CDC indicated firearms were the most commonly used method of suicide for those with or without a known mental health condition. This echoes the heavily politicized sentiments of the gun control debate currently plaguing the country in response to a disturbing occurrence of mass shootings.
From government sectors to employers, education and community organizations, the CDC recommends that all facets of American life and existence contribute to the prevention, awareness and understanding of suicide.
In particular, the CDC shared recommendations to the media on how to accurately portray suicide in the news.
The shocking revelation by the CDC came just days after prominent designer Kate Spade took her own life in New York.
Earlier this year in April, Vox published an article outlining the negative effects of sensationalized headlines when reporting on suicide. The, the report came on the heels of the suicide of prominent Swedish musician, Avicii.
When celebrities and high profile persons commit suicide, sensationalized headlines commence to rise. This has a copycat effect on the public, especially when headlines and reports glamorize the issues.
The media, in all regards, has come under scrutiny for over-the-top headlines that meant to shock and stimulate interest in the topic of suicide. “Clickbait” headlines are meant to engage the user to click on the link, leading to pay-per-click ad revenue for the site.
“..shock is not a good excuse to throw ethics out the window when it comes to reporting his [Avicii’s] death,” said Vox reporter, Jennifer Michael Hecht.
The Vox report later said said, “Media contagion research shows a dose effect: the more exposure to media reporting of suicide, including the number of articles and the prominence of the death, the greater the copycat effect.”
BuzzFeed recently released a video about a father learning to navigate his own mental health after he lost both of his children to suicide.
Only going by his first name, Tomas, he shared his own mental health struggles and the road down a vigorous and intensive recovery. “For the first four months I didn’t care if I was alive, I didn’t care if I died,” he said. “I didn’t think it mattered. I had no hope, I had no purpose. It was empty without my kids.”
Thomas immediately knew he needed to find treatment for the acute suffering, lest he be afflicted with the same sense of hopelessness his children felt.
In the age of pervasive digital copy being shared, liked, read and discussed, it is important for the media to keep in mind that the narrative when reporting on suicide has everything to do with keeping people alive.
The CDC indicates that everybody has the ability to help prevent suicide. Warning signs and helpful ways to identify and approach to at-risk people can be found at BeThe1to.com
Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for help at suicidepreventionlifeline.org