Comparing the Content of Media Articles Focused on Youth Suicide Versus Adult Suicide: Brief Report

This study compares Canadian news coverage of youth suicide with that of adult suicide over a one-year period. Articles were collected from 47 mainstream news sources and coded for adherence to responsible reporting of suicide guidelines. Chi-squared tests revealed differences between youth and adult articles. Articles focused on youth suicide showed better adherence to responsible reporting of suicide guidelines compared to articles focused on adult suicide. Results suggest that there is room for improvement in reporting on adult suicide. Further research should examine suicide portrayals on social media that are more popular among youth, such as TikTok and Instagram.