Many methods of suicide are extremely painful, and people who unsuccessfully attempt suicide can face a lifetime of serious disability, according to a new booklet, Media Guidelines On Portrayal Of Suicide. The booklet, published by the Samaritans and the Irish Association of Suicidology, was launched by the President, Mrs McAleese, yesterday.
Suicide should not be presented as a dignified act, nor should it be depicted as an act of courage, the booklet says.
Media reports should avoid explicit or technical details of how the suicide was carried out, it says, but should not brush over the realities. "The grim reality of the aftermath of a suicide attempt, for instance, the slow liver failure following a paracetamol overdose, should not be disguised," it says.
"The effects of suicide are not honourable or courageous and to present it like this is dangerous and trivialises the person who has died as well as the whole issue of suicide," it says. "For those left behind, the loss of a loved one, particularly in such tragic circumstances, is the start of a nightmare, not the end."
Mrs McAleese, who is patron of the Irish Association of Suicidology, spoke of the effect of suicide on those who are left behind. "The `Why?' factor imposes a terrible, often insoluble burden," she said. "Family and friends are left confounded, never fully comprehending the `why' of it, and knowing that, even if they solved the riddle, the finality of death cannot be changed."
International research suggests that inappropriate reporting can popularise particular locations for suicide and particular ways of committing suicide, according to the booklet. Portrayal of suicide in TV dramas can also be dangerous, especially if it concerns a young or long-established character, it says.
Just over 10 people a week are believed to have died by suicide in the Republic last year.
In 1998, a total of 421 males and 83 females in the Republic are known to have taken their own lives. In Northern Ireland 95 males and 31 females killed themselves.
The Samaritans' helpline can be contacted at 1850 60 90 90 in the Republic and at 0345 90 90 90 in Northern Ireland.
Weblinks: www.samaritans.org (The Samaritans)
www.ias.ie (Irish Association of Suicidology)