The study found a 22 per cent increase in suicides among young women in the same age group during that time. (Source: File Photo)A study by an international research group has found that suicides spiked in youth — particularly young women — after the release of the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. The analysis of monthly suicide data from 1999 to 2017 found a 13 per cent increase in suicides among 10-19 year olds in the United States, three months after the show’s release (94 more suicides than expected).
The researchers of the study, published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, hypothesised that the increase would be most pronounced in young women since the main character who dies by suicide in the series is a teenage girl. The study found a 22 per cent increase in suicides among young women in the same age group during that time.
“If youth, some of whom are at risk, are exposed to this kind of content which we know to be misleading and dangerous, they may identify with what the character is going through and mistakenly think that suicide is the only option,” said study’s co-author Mark Sinyor, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto and a psychiatrist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
Also Read: Teen suicide rate increased a month after ’13 Reasons Why’ released on Netflix: Study
“But there is no reason that has to happen. The series 13 Reasons Why failed to show that suicide almost always arises from a treatable mental illness,” said Sinyor. “People need to know that there is help and that suicide can be prevented,” he added.
On March 31, 2017, Netflix released the show which sparked immediate criticism from suicide prevention organisations for not following media recommendations for responsible suicide portrayal and for possible suicide contagion by media. To date, little research has been conducted into the associations between the show and suicide counts among its young target audience.
Earlier, another 2019 study published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, observed that suicide rates among boys within the age group of 10 to 17 increased after the release of the series. In the last five years, April 2017 apparently documented the highest overall suicide rate for this age group.
Responding to this study, a Netflix spokesperson put out a statement. “We’ve just seen this study and are looking into the research, which conflicts with last week’s study from the University of Pennsylvania,” which focused on young adults. This is a critically important topic and we have worked hard to ensure that we handle this sensitive issue responsibly.”
