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Netflix's "13 Reasons Why" hit program has a negative impact on a significant proportion of suicidal teens, according to a new study by mental health experts.
Michigan Medicine researchers from the University of Michigan in the United States asked suicidal teenagers if the show had contributed to symptoms related to suicide.
Of the 87 youth who participated in the survey between 2017 and 2018, half had watched at least one episode of the show, mostly teenagers aged 13 to 17. Of the 43 who looked at it, about half (21) said it increased their suicide. risk.
If you are not familiar with the show, it follows a 17-year-old student who, before her death, recorded tapes that detail 13 reasons why she committed suicide.
"This show has been a real phenomenon, especially among teenagers," says lead author Victor Hong, MD, medical director of Michigan Medicine's psychiatric emergency department. "Her description of adolescent suicide is of great concern to parents, health care providers and educators."
"Our study does not confirm that the program increases the risk of suicide, but it confirms that we should definitely be concerned about its impact on impressionable and vulnerable youth.
"Few people believe that this type of media exposure will take children who are not depressed and makes them suicidal. The concern is about the negative consequences this could have for young people who are already teetering on the brink. "
According to Hong, the idea for the study, published in the journal Psychiatric Services, was born from stories shared by colleagues from different hospitals for children. He said that more and more staff members heard about this program from teenagers.
A second season of 13 Reasons Why, which began in May, opens with a warning urging younger viewers to watch the show with a trusted adult – and on the importance of looking for # 39; s help. However, very few parents in the researcher's sample looked at it themselves.
"The data from our adolescent sample showed that children at high suicide risk were not addressing adults," Hong said.
"They mostly watched the show alone or talked to friends, but they did not talk to parents, teachers, or school counselors."
The researchers developed a questionnaire containing 44 questions to evaluate several aspects of youth interactions with 13 reasons to choose, using caution to avoid spreading the series to those who did not already know it. Teenagers unfamiliar with the show did not ask any additional questions.
Experts say more research is needed to accurately assess how media content focused on youth suicide can affect the mental health and suicide risk of its viewers.
"Our findings confirm the need for tailored prevention programs for vulnerable youth and education and training for their parents," said Cheryl King, lead author of the study, a psychologist for children and adolescents at CS Mott Children's Hospital. from the University of Michigan.
"Parents whose children may be vulnerable or at high risk of suicide should be even more vigilant about what their children watch and if they are exposed to content that could trigger them."
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