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The Tool for Evaluating Media Portrayals of Suicide (TEMPOS): Development and Application of a Novel Rating Scale to Reduce Suicide Contagion

Author

Listed:
  • Chloe Chang Sorensen

    (Depression Clinical & Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA)

  • Mego Lien

    (Suicide Prevention Program, County of Santa Clara Behavioral Health Services Department, San Jose, CA 95128, USA)

  • Vicki Harrison

    (Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA)

  • John J. Donoghue

    (Suicide Prevention Program, County of Santa Clara Behavioral Health Services Department, San Jose, CA 95128, USA)

  • Jeevanjot Singh Kapur

    (Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA)

  • Song Hi Kim

    (Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA)

  • Nhi Thi Tran

    (Center for Care Innovations, Oakland, CA 94612, USA)

  • Shashank V. Joshi

    (Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA)

  • Sita G. Patel

    (Department of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA)

Abstract

Research suggests that media adherence to suicide reporting recommendations in the aftermath of a highly publicized suicide event can help reduce the risk of imitative behavior, yet there exists no standardized tool for assessing adherence to these standards. The Tool for Evaluating Media Portrayals of Suicide (TEMPOS) allows media professionals, researchers, and suicide prevention experts to assess adherence to the recommendations with a user-friendly, standardized rating scale. An interdisciplinary team of raters constructed operational definitions for three levels of adherence to each of the reporting recommendations and piloted the scale on a sample of articles to assess reliability and clarify scale definitions. TEMPOS was then used to evaluate 220 news articles published during a high-risk period following the suicide deaths of two public figures. Post-hoc analyses of the results demonstrated how data produced by TEMPOS can be used to inform research and public health efforts, and inter-rater reliability analyses revealed substantial agreement across raters and criteria. A novel, wide-reaching, and practical approach to suicide prevention, TEMPOS allows researchers, suicide prevention professionals, and media professionals to study how adherence varies across contexts and can be used to guide future efforts to decrease the risk of media-induced suicide contagion.

Suggested Citation

  • Chloe Chang Sorensen & Mego Lien & Vicki Harrison & John J. Donoghue & Jeevanjot Singh Kapur & Song Hi Kim & Nhi Thi Tran & Shashank V. Joshi & Sita G. Patel, 2022. "The Tool for Evaluating Media Portrayals of Suicide (TEMPOS): Development and Application of a Novel Rating Scale to Reduce Suicide Contagion," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-12, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:5:p:2994-:d:763907
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Steven A. Sumner & Moira Burke & Farshad Kooti, 2020. "Adherence to suicide reporting guidelines by news shared on a social networking platform," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 117(28), pages 16267-16272, July.
    2. Merike Sisask & Airi Värnik, 2012. "Media Roles in Suicide Prevention: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-16, January.
    3. Luxton, D.D. & June, J.D. & Fairall, J.M., 2012. "Social media and suicide: A public health perspective," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 102(S2), pages 195-200.
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