How robust is the Werther effect? A re-examination of the suggestion-imitation model of suicide

Dados Bibliográficos

ID15082071
AutoresJames B Hittner (0000-0002-5766-9763, Corner House, autor correspondente)
Ano2005
Volume10
Fascículo3
Páginas193-200
Data de publicação2005-08-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoMortality (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1357-6275 • E-ISSN: 1469-9885
EditoraInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13576270500178112
OpenAlexW2026940343
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas8
Referências citadas9

The suggestion-imitation model of suicide posits that the number of observed suicides in the population will increase following reports in the media of individuals who died by suicide. Moreover, this imitative suicide phenomenon, which is an example of the Werther effect (Phillips, 1974 Phillips, DP. 1974. The influence of suggestion on suicide: Substantive and theoretical implications of the Werther effect. American Sociological Review, 39: 340–354. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), is believed to be greatest when the amount of media publicity surrounding a suicide is greatest. Although a number of studies have reported positive associations between mass media portrayals of suicide and actual suicide rates, these studies have been criticized on both methodological and statistical grounds. Perhaps the most central statistical concern is that these studies did not control for the positive correlation (i.e., dependency) between the expected and observed suicide rates before examining the impact of media publicity on the observed number of suicides. In light of this limitation, the present study re-analysed data from two classic articles but, unlike the original authors, the present inquiry examined residualized observed suicides as the dependent variable of interest. Results of the re-analyses indicated only partial support for the Werther effect. Directions for future research are considered

Criminology · Epistemology · Imitation · Medical emergency · Phenomenon · Poison control · Political science · Population · Publicity · Sociology · Suicide prevention · Suicide rates · Demography · Medicine · Psychology · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology · Suicide and Self-Harm Studies