Adolescent conversations on suicide

With the second season of ‘13 Reasons Why’ released, the topic of suicide will inevitably be brought to the forefront of adolescent conversations. The show itself received serious backlash following its release last year. If you aren’t aware, the show details the life of a high school girl, Hannah Baker, and the self-described reasons for her suicide, which she includes in 13 recorded tapes that she mails to her classmates.
One of the reasons the show was widely criticized was the manner in which it chose to portray her suicide. In the show, the method is documented in extreme detail, featuring graphic imagery. Mental health experts agree that graphic representations of suicide may be harmful to viewers, especially those who have attempted suicide themselves, or are contemplating suicide. Days after the show’s release in April of last year, two Californian teens, Bella Herndon and Priscilla Chui, took their lives. Their families believe that this is in part due to the fact that the show made them feel as though suicide was a viable option; one which people would understand if they provided good enough reasons, with Priscilla’s uncle saying, “I feel as if the show gives only one alternative for cyber bullying and other teenage issues.” The same relative further said that the scene in which Hannah commits suicide is “very graphic” and can “act as a trigger”. He did, however, explain that Priscilla had been battling with depression for a long time.
Something else, too, that was dangerous about the show was that it did not seem to focus on Hannah’s internal struggle. Most people who commit suicide have a diagnosable mental illness at the time of their death. The show did not portray her reaction as unhealthy, but rather as understandable; and further, went on to make it seem as though through suicide a person can be avenged — that by committing suicide you can ‘punish’ people who have wronged you.
These criticisms are not to say that suicide should not be talked about. However, they are to say that suicide should be talked about responsibly. Netflix and the producers of the show have appeared to listen, including additional warnings on triggering episodes, and a general warning at the beginning of the second season, where cast members explain that if you have been suffering from depression, are contemplating suicide, or have been sexually assaulted, the show “may not be for you”; and advise that if you should still want to continue watching, you watch with a “trusted adult”.
Personally, I can’t say how much influence media portrayal has on suicide becoming an actuality. There are two types of suicide: impulsive ones, and planned ones. In an article titled “The Role Of Impulsiveness Is One Of The Saddest Things About Suicide”, published on Business Insider by Corey Adwar, he explains that according to the New England Journal of Medicine, anywhere from a third to eighty percent of suicides are impulsive. He further went on to say that twenty-four percent of people who had nearly succeeded in committing suicide said they made the decision within five minutes, and about seventy said the decision had been made within an hour. The same article then detailed that, “90% of people who survive suicide attempts, including the most lethal types like shooting one’s self in the head, don’t end up killing themselves later.” Even making reference to a study in 1978 of 515 people who were prevented from attempting suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge between 1937 and 1971. The study found that after more than 26 years, 94% were still alive or had died of natural causes. I think in cases where suicide is impulsive, shows like ‘13 Reasons Why’ have far greater impacts. People who attempt to commit suicide impulsively are described as “indecisive”, and as suicidologist Edwin S. Shneidman put it, “The prototypical psychological picture of a person on the brink of suicide is one who wants to and does not want to. He makes plans for self-destruction and at the same time entertains fantasies of rescue and intervention. It is possible — indeed probably prototypical — for a suicidal individual to cut his throat and to cry for help at the same time.” In such instances, a person is not completely sure that they want to die, but, in the moment, are overwhelmed by negative thoughts which push them to the edge. I think (that) in this case, a triggering scene in a show can be what encourages a person to go through with their attempt.
I think, though, that there is something good to be said about the show. It has started a discussion — one about how we should safely discuss and portray suicide in the media, as well as one about what issues teens are facing in schools. It is obvious that people can relate on some level to challenges Hannah faced, and it is important to talk about them. However, it is even more important to remind teens that these issues are not permanent: that they can be resolved, and that there are people who are willing to support and counsel them.
Guyana remains having one of the highest suicide rates in the world, largely due, I think, to the lack of mental health education (about mental illnesses and the causes and warning signs of suicide), and the lack of safe spaces to discuss issues. Young people can feel isolated; they don’t feel like they can discuss their depression with their parents or relatives (as they won’t be taken seriously), they don’t feel comfortable talking to their teachers, and our schools don’t have counsellors. It is up to us to change the environment, and to break down the walls of stigma surrounding suicide and mental illnesses by discussing them in a safe and responsible manner.