The Media and Suicide: Evidence Based on Population Data over 9 Years in Taiwan

Abstract

The relationship between the regional distribution densities of different media and the suicide death rate was explored by analyzing the annual total, male, and female suicide rates and media densities from 23 cities/counties in Taiwan during 1998-2006 by univariate and multivariate regression adjusted for five socioeconomic factors. The regional density of newspapers was significantly inversely related to the total, male, and female suicide rates, while that of television sets was not. The density of in-home personal computers was significantly positively related to the total and male suicide rates, but not the female suicide rate. The results indicate that media reporting on suicide can be beneficial, instead of harmful, depending on the content.