New guidelines for journalists reporting on suicide were released today as a combined effort of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), and Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE). This report and other information is available at http://reportingonsuicide.org/.
According to SAVE executive director Dan Reidenberg, "Research shows that one of the best ways to prevent suicide is through safe media reporting. So in developing these recommendations, it was vital to work not only with suicide prevention experts, but also journalists to create a useful, straightforward tool that reporters and news media organizations can turn to when reporting on suicide."
A primary recommendation of this report is to include suicide warning signs and what to do if you know someone exhibiting any warning sign in these stories. Since the outset of STRIDES, one of our goals has been to increase awareness about suicide prevention. We hope that by reducing the stigma of talking about suicide prevention through media and community-level outreach, individuals who are in need of help will feel more comfortable and supported in doing so.
To see a list of suicide warning signs and suggestions for how you can help, visit their website here: http://reportingonsuicide.org/warning-signs-of-suicide/.
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