Framing Suicide in Afghanistan
A 4-year Content Analysis of Afghan Newspapers Reports
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24230866 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Rameez Ali Mahesar (0000-0003-0921-0701, Greenwich University), Arifa Saeed (0009-0002-6941-4685, Greenwich University), Amna Fazail (0000-0002-1311-4037, The Women University Multan), Rimsha Kiran (The Women University Multan), Ghulam Mujtaba Rahujo (Shah Abdul Latif University), Sujita Kumar Kar (0000-0003-1107-3021, Department of Psychiatry, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pardesh, India), Antonio Ventriglio (0000-0002-3934-7007, Department of Clincal and Experimental Medicine, Univeristy of Foggia) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-11 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Muslim Mental Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1556-4908 • E-ISSN: 1556-5009 |
| Publisher | University of Michigan Library (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.3998/jmmh.7412 |
| OpenAlex | W4410919247 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 25 |
In Afghanistan, approximately 80% of national suicides yearly occur among females. Nonetheless, both scholarly research and reliable epidemiological data on the topic remain extremely scarce, leaving the true scale and context of this crisis largely unknown. We aimed to evaluate the quality of suicide reporting in Afghan media by conducting a content analysis of suicide-related articles published between September 2021 and August 2024 in two relevant English-language Afghan newspapers. Employing a predefined set of keywords—“suicide,” “shot herself/himself,” “ended her/his life,” “took her/his life,” “killed herself/himself,” “jumped in front of a train,” “poison,” and “pistol”—we analyzed 73 news reports. Our findings indicated that most articles provided details on gender, method, location, and purported motives for suicide cases within their headlines. Furthermore, reports frequently disclosed the identities of the deceased, including personal life events, and simplistic, single-cause explanations for suicide. However, most articles lacked reporting essential preventive information, such as suicide helpline resources or an expert recommendation. The portrayal of suicide in Afghan media was found to be markedly problematic, including ethical journalistic concerns and violations of responsible media-reporting guidelines. We discussed how these limitations may adversely impact readers’ perception of suicide news.
Afghanistan · female suicide · journalism ethics · media framing · Suicide prevention · suicide prevention messaging · suicide reporting · Journalism and Media Studies · Media Studies and Communication · Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
Indonesian online newspaper reporting of suicidal behavior
Do Tamil newspapers educate the public about suicide? Content analysis from a high suicide Union Territory in India
Do newspaper reports of suicides comply with standard suicide reporting guidelines? A study from Bangalore, India
Assessing the quality of media reporting of suicide deaths in Pakistan against international guidelines
Media reporting of suicide and adherence to media guidelines
Newspaper reporting of suicides in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Guangzhou
| Highly cited | No |
|---|