Suicide Contagion Research Articles

The Definition and Epidemiology of Clusters of Suicidal Behavior: A Systematic Review

Suicide clusters are a rare and underresearched phenomenon which attract wide media attention and result in heightened concern in the communities where they occur. We conducted a systematic literature review covering the definition and epidemiology of the time-space clustering of suicidal behavior. Of the 890 articles identified by electronic searching, 82 were selected for inclusion and the extracted data were analyzed by narrative synthesis. Less than a third of studies included a definition of a suicide cluster, and definitions varied considerably. Clusters occurred in various settings, including psychiatric hospitals, schools, prisons, indigenous communities, and among the general population. Most clusters involved young people. The proportion of all episodes that occurred in clusters varied considerably between studies and partly depended on study methodology (e.g., a larger proportion was found in studies of specific clusters compared with general population studies). Future studies should aim to combine the statistical analysis of time-space clustering with a case study of events, which examines potential links between individuals and the wider environmental context.

Quantitative exponential modelling of copycat suicides: association with mass media effect in South Korea

There is ample evidence media reporting of celebrity suicides increases copycat suicides. This study had three aims: (a) to quantitatively examine copycat suicides with exponential modelling that predicts the copycat suicide effect of South Korean celebrity suicides; (b) to investigate the association between media effect and subsequent suicides following celebrity deaths; and (c) to investigate the extent in which media influences the increase and rate of decline of copycat suicides following a celebrity suicide. All suicides during 1991-2010 in South Korea were included in this study utilising a nationwide database. Fifteen celebrities were selected based on the frequency of media reports following 1 week after their suicide. The media effect was obtained through the Korean Integrated Newspaper Database System. Exponential curve fits and correlation analyses investigated the quantitative effect of copycat suicides. After controlling for baseline number of average suicides, there was a marked increase in the number of suicides following each celebrity suicides, which followed an exponential model. There was a significant correlation between the total number of copycat suicides and number of media following the celebrity suicide (r = 0.74, p < 0.01). There were weak-to-moderate correlations between the amplitude of increase in suicides (r = 0.45, p = 0.09) and rate of decline (r = 0.38, p = 0.16) with the total number of media coverage. Copycat suicides following celebrity suicides follow exponential modelling. Additionally, there is a strong media effect between the number of media reports following the days after celebrity suicides and subsequent copycat suicides. This may also be associated with the amplitude and rate of decline of copycat suicides. This suggests that improving media reporting and implementing preventative interventions for vulnerable populations may be important.

EPA-0042 - Suicide clusters augmentation through media

Background ‘Werther effect’ is a term synonymous with suicide clusters, following a trend for suicide instigated by a historic book. Depending on cluster size, they can be named’point’ or’mass’ clusters. These phenomena, typically affecting adolescents, can have substantial emotional consequences for a community. There is a paucity of comprehensive literature in this area, hence our aim was to investigate cluster triggers and demographics. Method A comprehensive review using a PubMed search was undertaken. Search terms were’suicide cluster’,’recent suicide’ and’suicide outbreaks’. As this was a review paper ethical approval was waived. Results Saman et al (1992) describe two ‘high risk’ spatial clusters which translated to a 38% increase in relative suicide risk. They also describe how suicide method is remarkably consistent within a cluster supported by Exeter and Boyle (2006). Qi et al (2006), in comparison to Saman et al, demonstrated how clusters may have variable risk groups, with differing correlations between age of females and suicide rates. All studies highlighted the central part media played in commencement of suicide clusters. Conclusion With globally increasing levels of mental health issues, the recession and other demands of 21 st century living, rates of suicide could increase and knowledge in this area is therefore vital at the level of government resource allocation and for the health care professionals delivering care on a daily basis. We found a strong correlation with media exposure and subsequent suicide clusters.

Position statement and guideline on media coverage of suicide.

Byline: K. Pavitra, K. Shubrata One of the chief concerns of human sciences has been to understand how people think, how they construe meaning and make interpretations. Indian dance forms, Bharatanatyam in particular have always been closely linked to both physical and psychic spheres. The functionalists have understood art as an elaborate mechanism for defining social relationships, sustaining social rules, strengthening social values and forwarding doctrines. [sup][1] Dance movements in and of themselves, communicate effectively and cognitively the values, beliefs, attitudes and learned behavior, a community shares. [sup][2] They also contribute to the dynamic and overcharging phenomenon of culture. Thus, psyche-physique, culture and dance forms are all closely linked. Spencer [sup][3] reviews the recurrent themes emerging from writings on the subject. The first theme treats dance as a safety valve that releases pent-up emotions, tensions and drives. The second theme deals with the educational role of dance and transmission of sentiments. Dance may be seen as a cast or mold which shapes children into culturally conforming adults. Dance among Samoan children separates the adept from the in adept, preparing them respectively for success or failure in adulthood. It initiates grace, proficiency and confidence in skilled and keen children while the clumsy and incapable are rebuked and discouraged. [sup][4] The third theme views dance as transmitting and maintaining culturally desirable sentiments that underlie orderly social existence of society and promote solidarity. The fourth theme bespeaks of dance as a cumulative process in which collective passion rises as dancers lose themselves in the dance becoming absorbed in the unified community and being transported to a state of elation. The fifth theme emphasizes the element of competition in dance demonstrated in the work of Rappaport. [sup][5] The sixth theme tells of dance as a ritual drama lifting the people out of their structural routine into the realm of spiritual beings. The seventh theme regards dancing as a shared activity with non-verbal mode of communication and invites exploration of patterns of dance movements to discern concealed meaning. Emotions are construed as cultural acquisitions which are determined by the circumstances and concepts of a particular culture as well as, or rather much more than, by the functions of biology, more specifically neurology. [sup][6] The major postulates of a general theory of emotions, [sup][7] are (1) the concept of emotion is applicable to all evolutionary levels and applies to animals as well as to humans. (2) With an evolutionary history behind them, emotions have evoked forms of expression in different species. (3) Emotions are adaptive in helping organisms deal with key issues posed by the environment. (4) Despite different forms of expression of emotions in diverse species, there are certain identifiable common elements or prototype patterns. (5) There are a small number of basic, primary or prototype emotions. (6) All other emotions are mixed/derivative states i.e., they occur as combinations, mixtures or compounds of the primary emotions. (7) Primary emotions are hypothetical constructs or idealized states the properties and characteristics of which can be inferred. (8) Primary emotions can be computerized in terms of polar opposites. (9) All emotions vary in their degree of similarity to one another. (10) Each emotion can exist in varying degrees of intensity or levels of arousal. Emotions are being increasingly recognized as central to cultural meaning system, relationships and communication. Since children must be motivated to act in concordance with cultural values, it is important to incorporate, (1) meanings of the particular emotion words and the place of emotions in the structure and functioning of the self. (2) Developmental theories regarding the origin and the emergence of abilities in the child to feel and behave in an emotional manner of an adult, (3) beliefs about the relationship between emotions and personality types, in works of ethno psychology. …

EPA-0502 - A systematic analysis of all studies that ambiguously prove copycat suicides after media coverage of suicide

Research on the impact of suicide reports is traditionally focussed on two possible outcomes: On the one hand, there is ample evidence for additional copycat effects after media coverage of suicides referred to as ‘Werther-Effect’, on the other hand, suicide rates decrease after appropriate media depictions of suicides referred to as ‘Papageno-Effect’. In contrast, studies that only limitedly support these imitative or preventive effects – i.e. all ambiguous findings – are hardly regarded. The present study exclusively focuses on all studies (n = 28) with equivocal findings on the connection between media coverage of suicides and factual suicides and aims to systematically analyse central characteristics of these studies. A qualitative content analysis of identified studies has been conducted whose results are systematized in Table 1. The analysis shows that a lion's share of ambiguous studies draws on aggregate data and unidirectionally hypothesises harmful media effect, which only insufficiently describes reality. Future hypotheses on the imitation of suicides should be formulated in a more differentiated (bi-directional) way and studies should include content analyses of media coverage as far as possible.Table 1 Analysis of all studies that ambiguously prove copycat suicides after media coverage of suicides. Table 1 Analysis of all studies that ambiguously prove copycat suicides after media coverage of suicides.

The Werther Effect of Two Celebrity Suicides: an Entertainer and a Politician

PurposeSuicide is a major health problem in Korea. Extensive media exposure of celebrity suicide may induce imitative suicide, a phenomenon called the Werther effect. We examined the increased suicide risk following the suicides of an entertainer and a politician, and identified the relative suicide risks. MethodsNews articles about the celebrity suicides were obtained from three major newspapers and analysed for quantitative and qualitative features. Imitative suicide risk was investigated by applying a Poisson time series autoregression model with suicide mortality data from the National Statistics Office for 1.5 years before and 1.5 years after each celebrity’s suicide. The period with a significantly increased number of suicides immediately after the celebrity’s suicide determined the Werther effect band. The relative risk during this period was examined for different ages, genders, and suicide methods.ResultsNews reports were more numerous and they contained more positive definitions about the entertainer’s suicide. The risk of suicide deaths rose markedly after both celebrity suicides. However, the Werther effect band was longer for the entertainer (6 weeks) than for the politician (4 weeks). The relative suicide risk was significant for almost all ages and both genders during that of both individuals. Use of the same suicide method was a prominent risk factor after both celebrity suicides. ConclusionsOur results confirm the existence of imitative suicide behaviours, suggesting a facilitation effect of media reports. Guidelines for responsible media reporting need to be implemented to enhance public mental health in Korea.

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

BackgroundThis 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. MethodsSouth 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. ResultsAfter 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). LimitationsIt is difficult to prove conclusively that the real motivation of the suicides was Lee's death. ConclusionsThe 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.

Applying the Anderson-Darling Test to Suicide Clusters

Suicide clusters at Cornell University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) prompted popular and expert speculation of suicide contagion. However, some clustering is to be expected in any random process. This work tested whether suicide clusters at these two universities differed significantly from those expected under a homogeneous Poisson process, in which suicides occur randomly and independently of one another. Suicide dates were collected for MIT and Cornell for 1990-2012. The Anderson-Darling statistic was used to test the goodness-of-fit of the intervals between suicides to distribution expected under the Poisson process. Suicides at MIT were consistent with the homogeneous Poisson process, while those at Cornell showed clustering inconsistent with such a process (p = .05). The Anderson-Darling test provides a statistically powerful means to identify suicide clustering in small samples. Practitioners can use this method to test for clustering in relevant communities. The difference in clustering behavior between the two institutions suggests that more institutions should be studied to determine the prevalence of suicide clustering in universities and its causes.

Genetic risk factors in two Utah pedigrees at high risk for suicide

We have used unique population-based data resources to identify 22 high-risk extended pedigrees that show clustering of suicide over twice that expected from demographically adjusted incidence rates. In this initial study of genetic risk factors, we focused on two high-risk pedigrees. In the first of these (pedigree 12), 10/19 (53%) of the related suicides were female, and the average age at death was 30.95. In the second (pedigree 5), 7/51 (14%) of the suicides were female and the average age at death was 36.90. Six decedents in pedigree 12 and nine in pedigree 5 were genotyped with the Illumina HumanExome BeadChip. Genotypes were analyzed using the Variant Annotation, Analysis, and Search program package that computes likelihoods of risk variants using the functional impact of the DNA variation, aggregative scoring of multiple variants across each gene and pedigree structure. We prioritized variants that were: (1) shared across pedigree members, (2) rare in other Utah suicides not related to these pedigrees, (3) ⩽ 5% in genotyping data from 398 other Utah population controls and (4) ⩽5% frequency in publicly available sequence data from 1358 controls and/or in dbSNP. Results included several membrane protein genes (ANO5, and TMEM141 for pedigree 12 and FAM38A and HRCT1 for pedigree 5). Other genes with known neuronal involvement and/or previous associations with psychiatric conditions were also identified, including NFKB1, CASP9, PLXNB1 and PDE11A in pedigree 12, and THOC1, and AUTS2 in pedigree 5. Although the study is limited to variants included on the HumanExome BeadChip, these findings warrant further exploration, and demonstrate the utility of this high-risk pedigree resource to identify potential genes or gene pathways for future development of targeted interventions.

How people bereaved by suicide perceive newspaper reporting: qualitative study

People bereaved by suicide are often reported to be distressed by media reporting. Current media guidelines for reporting suicide focus especially on prevention of copycat behaviour. To explore bereaved individuals' experiences of media reporting after suicide and to examine their priorities in relation to media guidelines. In-depth interviews with 40 people bereaved by suicide, with qualitative analysis. Review of four guidelines. There is a difference of emphasis between guidance for the press that aims to prevent copycat suicides (especially avoidance of details such as method used) and the perspectives of bereaved people (who prioritise sympathetic and accurate reporting, sometimes including details of the death and images of the person who died). We found that bereaved relatives were sometimes keen to talk to the press. Those who were upset by the press focused on careless reporting, misquoting and speculation that gave an inaccurate impression of the death. The Leveson Inquiry has drawn attention to the damage that can be caused by irresponsible journalism. Guidelines written to prevent 'copycat' suicides are important, but so are the needs of bereaved relatives. Because accuracy matters greatly to the bereaved, families should be able to work with an intermediary such as a police press officer to prepare a statement for the press to minimise the risk of misrepresentation.

Identifying probable suicide clusters in wales using national mortality data.

BackgroundUp to 2% of suicides in young people may occur in clusters i.e., close together in time and space. In early 2008 unprecedented attention was given by national and international news media to a suspected suicide cluster among young people living in Bridgend, Wales. This paper investigates the strength of statistical evidence for this apparent cluster, its size, and temporal and geographical limits.Methods and findingsThe analysis is based on official mortality statistics for Wales for 2000–2009 provided by the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS). Temporo-spatial analysis was performed using Space Time Permutation Scan Statistics with SaTScan v9.1 for suicide deaths aged 15 and over, with a sub-group analysis focussing on cases aged 15–34 years. These analyses were conducted for deaths coded by ONS as: (i) suicide or of undetermined intent (probable suicides) and (ii) for a combination of suicide, undetermined, and accidental poisoning and hanging (possible suicides). The temporo-spatial analysis did not identify any clusters of suicide or undetermined intent deaths (probable suicides). However, analysis of all deaths by suicide, undetermined intent, accidental poisoning and accidental hanging (possible suicides) identified a temporo-spatial cluster (p = 0.029) involving 10 deaths amongst 15–34 year olds centred on the County Borough of Bridgend for the period 27th December 2007 to 19th February 2008. Less than 1% of possible suicides in younger people in Wales in the ten year period were identified as being cluster-related.ConclusionsThere was a possible suicide cluster in young people in Bridgend between December 2007 and February 2008. This cluster was smaller, shorter in duration, and predominantly later than the phenomenon that was reported in national and international print media. Further investigation of factors leading to the onset and termination of this series of deaths, in particular the role of the media, is required.

Why Has the Continuous Decline in German Suicide Rates Stopped in 2007?

BackgroundWhereas German suicide rates had a clear decreasing tendency between 1991 and 2006, they increased from 2007 to 2010. Deeper analyses of suicide data might help to understand better this change. The aim of this study was to analyze 1) whether recent trends can be related to changes in specific suicide methods and diverge by gender and age; 2) whether the decrease of suicide rates before 2007 as well as the increase from 2007 to 2010 are driven by the same suicide method.MethodsAnalyses were based on suicide data from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany. For 1998–2010, 136.583 suicide cases of men and women with known age and suicide method could be identified. These data were analyzed by joinpoint regression analysis, allowing identification of the best fitting point in time (“joinpoint”) at which the suicide rate significantly changes in magnitude or direction.ResultsThe national downward trend between 1998 and 2007 was mainly due to corresponding changes in self-poisoning by other means than drugs (e.g., pesticides) (annual percentage change (APC) ≤ −4.33), drowning (APC ≤ −2.73), hanging (APC ≤ −2.69) and suicides by firearms (APC ≤ −1.46) in both genders. Regarding the overall increase of age-adjusted suicide rates in Germany 2007–2010, mainly the increase of self-poisoning (e.g., by drugs) and “being overrun” (APC ≥ 1.50) contributed to this trend.LimitationsThe true suicide rates might have been underestimated because of errors in the official death certificates.ConclusionsIncrease in suicide rates in Germany since 2007 went along with corresponding changes for “being overrun” and “self-poisoning”. Copycat suicides following the railway suicide of the goalkeeper Robert Enke partly contributed to the results. Thus, prevention of Werther effects and limitation of the availability of high pack sizes for drugs are of special relevance for the reversal of this trend.

Living beyond Aboriginal suicide: Developing a culturally appropriate and accessible suicide postvention service for Aboriginal communities in South Australia

Anglicare SA’s Living Beyond Suicide program (LBS) is a postvention service which partners with crisis services such as the police and ambulance who attend each suicide in South Australia and who provide families with an immediate link to the service. LBS workers visit in the hours and days after the suicide, companion survivors through post-suicide processes, and provide a vital link between families and the community. The support given is practical and based on a family’s needs. It is also based on evidence which suggests that postvention services are important in mitigating the negative effects of grief and suicide contagion. Despite the overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in suicide statistics, LBS is signifi cantly underutilised by Aboriginal people. The aim of this research is to investigate how programmes such as LBS can be made more accessible and appropriate for Aboriginal people so that all people in the community have the opportunity to access the service should they experience bereavement through suicide. The project constitutes the beginning of a ‘both ways’, asset-based dialogue, and seeks to enhance the service’s capacity through dialogue with Aboriginal stakeholders, whilst investigating the potential of the service to augment the capacity of Aboriginal people and communities to live beyond suicide. To this end, the research here gathers information from a number of Aboriginal people who have been bereaved by suicide, and Aboriginal service providers who work with people who have been in this situation. It asks whether or not there is a need for a service such as LBS for Aboriginal families and communities and, if so, how the current programme could be modifi ed to make it more accessible and/or appropriate for Aboriginal people. Overarching those service specifi c questions, the project investigates the potential utility of predicating social service provision on a process of ‘walking together’.

Media recommendations on reporting suicidal behaviour and suggestions for optimisation

Media recommendations on reporting suicidal behaviour and suggestions for optimisation

Suicide Clusters: A Review of Risk Factors and Mechanisms

Suicide clusters, although uncommon, cause great concern in the communities in which they occur. We searched the world literature on suicide clusters and describe the risk factors and proposed psychological mechanisms underlying the spatio-temporal clustering of suicides (point clusters). Potential risk factors include male gender, being an adolescent or young adult, drug or alcohol abuse, and past history of self-harm. However, the majority of studies lack methodological rigor. Many different psychological mechanisms are described, including contagion, imitation, suggestion, learning, and assortative relating, but supporting empirical evidence is generally lacking. More scientifically rigorous studies are needed to improve understanding of suicide clusters.

Application of scan statistics to detect suicide clusters in Australia.

BackgroundSuicide clustering occurs when multiple suicide incidents take place in a small area or/and within a short period of time. In spite of the multi-national research attention and particular efforts in preparing guidelines for tackling suicide clusters, the broader picture of epidemiology of suicide clustering remains unclear. This study aimed to develop techniques in using scan statistics to detect clusters, with the detection of suicide clusters in Australia as example.Methods and FindingsScan statistics was applied to detect clusters among suicides occurring between 2004 and 2008. Manipulation of parameter settings and change of area for scan statistics were performed to remedy shortcomings in existing methods. In total, 243 suicides out of 10,176 (2.4%) were identified as belonging to 15 suicide clusters. These clusters were mainly located in the Northern Territory, the northern part of Western Australia, and the northern part of Queensland. Among the 15 clusters, 4 (26.7%) were detected by both national and state cluster detections, 8 (53.3%) were only detected by the state cluster detection, and 3 (20%) were only detected by the national cluster detection.ConclusionsThese findings illustrate that the majority of spatial-temporal clusters of suicide were located in the inland northern areas, with socio-economic deprivation and higher proportions of indigenous people. Discrepancies between national and state/territory cluster detection by scan statistics were due to the contrast of the underlying suicide rates across states/territories. Performing both small-area and large-area analyses, and applying multiple parameter settings may yield the maximum benefits for exploring clusters.

Sensationalism or sensitivity: Reporting suicide cases in the news media

This article investigates the nature of sensitivity in reporting the news in cases of suicide. We examine the boundaries of privacy and the appropriate guidelines for reporting as outlined in the Society of Professional Journalists, the 9 Principles of Journalism as noted by the Project for Excellence in Journalism, and CDC. Suicide contagion and the susceptibility of the audience are explored. Specifically, we will look at two cases where the suicides were well-documented in the media: the Dateline's To Catch a Predator suicide of Louis William Conradt, Jr. and the Rutger's University first-year student, Tyler Clementi.

On suicide clusters: More than contagion

the accumulation of cases, but rather just the accumulation of cases (Joiner, 1999). In contrast, suicide ‘contagion’ is just one way of explain-ing suicide clusters following the ‘infectious disease model’ (Johansson et al., 2006). Different mechanisms may explain why suicide can spread. For instance, direct contact with a sui-cide victim and word-of-mouth knowledge may explain the spread of suicide in geographically isolated, small areas, thus explaining

Spatial clusters of suicide in the municipality of São Paulo 1996–2005: an ecological study

BackgroundIn a classical study, Durkheim mapped suicide rates, wealth, and low family density and realized that they clustered in northern France. Assessing others variables, such as religious society, he constructed a framework for the analysis of the suicide, which still allows international comparisons using the same basic methodology. The present study aims to identify possible significantly clusters of suicide in the city of São Paulo, and then, verify their statistical associations with socio-economic and cultural characteristics.MethodsA spatial scan statistical test was performed to analyze the geographical pattern of suicide deaths of residents in the city of São Paulo by Administrative District, from 1996 to 2005. Relative risks and high and/or low clusters were calculated accounting for gender and age as co-variates, were analyzed using spatial scan statistics to identify geographical patterns. Logistic regression was used to estimate associations with socioeconomic variables, considering, the spatial cluster of high suicide rates as the response variable. Drawing from Durkheim’s original work, current World Health Organization (WHO) reports and recent reviews, the following independent variables were considered: marital status, income, education, religion, and migration.ResultsThe mean suicide rate was 4.1/100,000 inhabitant-years. Against this baseline, two clusters were identified: the first, of increased risk (RR = 1.66), comprising 18 districts in the central region; the second, of decreased risk (RR = 0.78), including 14 districts in the southern region. The downtown area toward the southwestern region of the city displayed the highest risk for suicide, and though the overall risk may be considered low, the rate climbs up to an intermediate level in this region. One logistic regression analysis contrasted the risk cluster (18 districts) against the other remaining 78 districts, testing the effects of socioeconomic-cultural variables. The following categories of proportion of persons within the clusters were identified as risk factors: singles (OR = 2.36), migrants (OR = 1.50), Catholics (OR = 1.37) and higher income (OR = 1.06). In a second logistic model, likewise conceived, the following categories of proportion of persons were identified as protective factors: married (OR = 0.49) and Evangelical (OR = 0.60).ConclusionsThis risk/ protection profile is in accordance with the interpretation that, as a social phenomenon, suicide is related to social isolation. Thus, the classical framework put forward by Durkheim seems to still hold, even though its categorical expression requires re-interpretation.

Suicide and media reporting: a longitudinal and spatial analysis

The impact of media reporting on copycat suicides has been well established in various cases of celebrity suicide. However, knowledge is limited about the spatial and temporal relationship between suicide death and media reporting over a long period of time. This study investigated the association of suicide deaths with suicide news in longitudinal and spatial dimensions. All suicides during 2003-2010 (n=31,364) were included. Suicide news in the study period was retrieved from Google News, and included all available news media in Taiwan. Empirical mode decomposition was used to identify the main intrinsic oscillation, reflecting both major and minor suicide events, and time-dependent intrinsic correlation was used to quantify the temporal correlation between suicide deaths and suicide news. The media reporting of suicide was synchronized with increased suicide deaths during major suicide events such as celebrity death, and slightly lagged behind the suicide deaths for 1month in other periods without notable celebrity deaths. The means of suicide reported in the media diversely affected the suicide models. Reports of charcoal burning suicide exhibited an exclusive copycat effect on actual charcoal burning deaths, whereas media reports of jumping had a wide association with various suicide models. Media reports of suicide had a higher association with suicide deaths in urban than in rural areas. This report suggested that a delayed effect of copycat suicide may exist in media reports of minor suicide events. The competitive reporting of minor suicide events must be avoided and addressed by media professionals.