The impact of indiscriminate media coverage of a celebrity suicide on a society with a high suicide rate: epidemiological findings on copycat suicides from South Korea

Journal of Affective Disorders
Nam Ju JiPaul S F Yip

Abstract

This study examines the extent to which the indiscriminate media coverage of the famous young actress Lee Eun-ju's suicide in 2005 affected suicides overall and in specific subgroups (by age, gender, and suicide method) in a suicide-prone society, South Korea. South Korea's 2003-2005 suicide data (n=34,237) were obtained from death certificate records of the National Statistical Office (NSO). Data was analyzed with Poisson time series auto-regression models. After adjusting for confounding factors (such as seasonal variation, calendar year, temperature, humidity, and unemployment rate), there was a significant increase in suicide (RR=1.40, 95%, CI=1.30-1.51, no. of excess mortalities=331; 95% CI=267-391) during the 4 weeks after Lee's suicide. This increase was more prominent in subgroups with similar characteristics to the celebrity. In particular, the relative risk of suicide during this period was the largest (5.24; 95% CI=3.31-8.29) in young women who used the same suicide method as the celebrity. Moreover, the incidence of these copycat suicides during the same time significantly increased in both genders and in all age subgroups among those who committed suicide using the same method as the celebrity (hanging). It is diff...Continue Reading

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Citations

Oct 1, 2014·Journal of Medical Systems·Penglai ChenDebin Wang
Sep 12, 2015·La Presse médicale·Charles-Édouard NotredameGuillaume Vaiva
Jul 14, 2014·Journal of Affective Disorders·Young-Rim ChoiWon Jin Lee
Jan 15, 2016·Psychiatry Investigation·Soo Ah JangWoo Taek Jeon
Mar 20, 2019·Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences·Eun Shil ChaWon Jin Lee
Oct 19, 2016·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Yoshihiro NabeshimaAkihito Hagihara
Apr 4, 2021·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Jan Domaradzki
Nov 28, 2017·Journal of Affective Disorders·Qijin ChengPaul S F Yip
Oct 19, 2017·Journal of Affective Disorders·William FeigelmanNina Gutin

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