Towards the Influence of Media on Suicidality: A Systematic Review of Netflix’s ‘Thirteen Reasons Why’

Martí Guinovart, Jesús Cobo (), Alexandre González-Rodríguez, Isabel Parra-Uribe and Diego Palao
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Martí Guinovart: Department of Mental Health, Hospital Universitari Parc Taulí, 1 Parc Taulí, 08208 Sabadell, Spain
Jesús Cobo: Department of Mental Health, Hospital Universitari Parc Taulí, 1 Parc Taulí, 08208 Sabadell, Spain
Alexandre González-Rodríguez: Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 3-5 Calle Monforte de Lemos, Pabellón 11, Planta 0, 28029 Madrid, Spain
Isabel Parra-Uribe: Department of Mental Health, Hospital Universitari Parc Taulí, 1 Parc Taulí, 08208 Sabadell, Spain
Diego Palao: Department of Mental Health, Hospital Universitari Parc Taulí, 1 Parc Taulí, 08208 Sabadell, Spain

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 7, 1-25

Abstract: Online streaming series ‘Thirteen Reasons Why’ (13RW), released in March 2017, was criticized for its sensationalist portrayal of the main character’s suicide, leading some people to voice fears of a global contagion of self-harm behaviors. The current investigation provides a systematic review of original studies analyzing the role of 13RW as an influencing factor for suicide. Articles were identified through a systematic search of Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycInfo, and a manual search of reference lists from inception until the 16 January 2023. Twenty-seven published articles were identified from an initial search of 496 studies. The positive effects of watching 13RW included a reduction in suicide stigma and a greater likelihood to discuss mental health concerns and seek for help. However, several studies reported negative outcomes, including significant increases in the rate of deaths by suicide in adolescents, the number of admissions for suicidal reasons, and the prevalence and severity of suicidal ideation and self-harm behaviors in vulnerable viewers. Still, due to methodological limitations, no causal relationship could be established. Preventive measures are required to alert of the risk and should be particularly addressed to susceptible subjects. Psychoeducational programs should be focused on this kind of phenomena in vulnerable populations.

Keywords: ‘Thirteen reasons why’; Werther effect; suicide; media; self-harm (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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