A new media-monitoring programme aimed at promoting responsible and accurate coverage of mental health and suicide was launched yesterday.
Headline, which has been established by the Health Service Executive (HSE), is a website which contains information on mental health and suicide, along with reporting guidelines agreed by the National Union of Journalists and health authorities.
It also plans to highlight examples of positive and negative coverage of suicide in the media, while the public will be able to comment on media coverage of issues relating to mental health.
The guidelines on the website encourage journalists to avoid going into technical detail over the methods used by a person to take their own life; listing details or further sources of information and advice when covering suicide; not romanticising or glorifying suicide; and avoiding simplistic explanations for suicide.
They also suggest avoiding phrases such as a "successful" suicide attempt or the use of terms such as "to commit suicide" and "suicide victim". Instead, they encourage the use of phrases such as "a completed suicide" or to "die by suicide".
International research suggests that while the media can play a powerful role in informing the public about suicide, some types of portrayal can act as a catalyst to influence the behaviour of people at risk.
For example, in the week following an episode of Casualty on BBC - which included a storyline about a paracetamol overdose - rates of self-poisoning in the UK increased by 175 per cent.
On the other hand, studies show that positive portrayal of suicide in the media can have striking results.
For example, a study following the death of Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain found there was no overall increase in suicide rates in his hometown of Seattle, largely as a result of a close collaboration between media and authorities to ensure appropriate reporting took place.
Headline will be managed by Schizophrenia Ireland and represents the interests of seven mental health-related voluntary organisations including Aware, the eating disorders association Bodywhys, the mental health group Grow, the Irish Advocacy Network, Mental Health Ireland and the Samaritans.
For further information, visit www.headline.ie