Nam Ju Ji1, Weon Young Lee2, Maeng Seok Noh3, Paul S F Yip4. 1. Department of Preventive Medicine, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, 84 Heukseok-Ro, Dongjak-Gu, Seoul 156-756, Republic of Korea. 2. Department of Preventive Medicine, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, 84 Heukseok-Ro, Dongjak-Gu, Seoul 156-756, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: wylee@cau.ac.kr. 3. Department of Statistics, Pukyong National University, Pusan, Republic of Korea. 4. Center for Suicide Research and Prevention, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: 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. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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). LIMITATIONS: It is difficult to prove conclusively that the real motivation of the suicides was Lee's death. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study imply that, if the media indiscreetly reports the suicide of a celebrity in a suicide-prone society, the copycat effect can be far-reaching and very strong, particularly for vulnerable people.
BACKGROUND: 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. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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). LIMITATIONS: It is difficult to prove conclusively that the real motivation of the suicides was Lee's death. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study imply that, if the media indiscreetly reports the suicide of a celebrity in a suicide-prone society, the copycat effect can be far-reaching and very strong, particularly for vulnerable people.
Authors: Yoshihiro Nabeshima; Daisuke Onozuka; Takanari Kitazono; Akihito Hagihara Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2016-10-15 Impact factor: 3.390