Audience Impact

While the portrayal of suicide can be shocking and engaging, evidence suggests that the dramatic portrayal of suicide can have a negative impact on vulnerable audiences.

Fictional on-screen suicide may impact on actual suicidal behaviour, increasing the likelihood of “copycat” suicides and/or preventing those at risk of suicide from seeking appropriate help.

To summarise some recent research evidence regarding the impact of different types of portrayals of mental illness:

Portrayal of suicide in film and drama is widespread and has increased over time. Depictions of the act have become lengthier, more extensively modeled, more likely to involve firearms and more romanticised, glorified and condoned.
Young people are disproportionately represented in films with a suicide theme.
Research suggests that there is some support for an imitative effect of on-screen portrayals of suicide on actual suicidal behaviour among viewers. The majority of studies have demonstrated that completed and attempted suicide rates show unexpected rises after such screenings.
Most studies in this area have focused on the potential for harm, rather than the potential for good.

Preferred portrayals of suicide do not glorify or romanticise it and do not provide visual details of or spoken references to the exact method. Rather more appropriate portrayals depict the consequences for others and provide sources of help for vulnerable viewers.

Research Evidence

In 2005, a two literature reviews were conducted by the University of Melbourne and the University of Canberra to explore the effects of fictional portrayals of mental illness and suicide.

In 2010, this review was conducted again, to capture any current literature on the effects of suicide portrayals in film, television and theatre.

To view the reports regarding fictional portrayal of suicide, click on the links below (the literature regarding fictional portrayal of mental illness is listed under Audience Impact in the Mental Illness section of this website).

*NEW* Suicide and the entertainment media: a critical review - Jane Pirkis and Warwick Blood.

A review of the literature regarding film and television drama portrayals of suicide – Jane Pirkis, Warwick Blood, Catherine Francis and Kerry McCallum.

Also, in 2005, SANE Australia published a report on consumer impressions and responses to film and television portrayals of mental illness and suicide. To view this report, click on the link below:

Make it Real! Consumer impressions of and responses to film and television portrayals of mental illness and suicide. A consultation project conducted by SANE Australia for the National Media and Mental Health Working Group (NMMHWG).