Media Should Report in Appropriate Manner in Suicide Case:Professor BS Chavan

By 121 News

Chandigarh 09^th September:- The Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College & Hospital-32, Chandigarh outlined the Position Statement and Guidelines for Media on reporting about Suicide as advised by the Indian Psychiatric Society. This was discussed by the Faculty from the Department of Psychiatry at the Press Club, Sector 27, Chandigarh today. Professor BS Chavan, Dr Nitin Gupta & Mrs Shikha Tyagi, and a lay member from the public (whose son had committed suicide) interacted with various media personnel on the occasion of World Suicide Prevention Day which is observed on 10^th September every year.

The discussion started with Professor BS Chavan outlining the reasons for interacting with media, and the important role played by the media in reporting about suicide. He and Dr Nitin further outlined the Position Statement and Guidelines for Media on reporting about Suicide as advised by the Indian Psychiatric Society. In the discussion it emerged that there are no such guidelines either developed by the media, or available with them on how to report such events.

The other two panellists then talked about the impact that suicide leaves on the family. The parent of the deceased shared her experience of the police and media interaction immediately after her son had committed suicide. This was further emphasized and backed up by Mrs Shikha Tyagi, and both requested for certain modifications in the approach by the media.

Professor Chavan further highlighted that the Department had conducted a study last year on the families of those people who had committed suicide in year 2013. Although quite a reasonable number could not be either traced/contacted or refused to participate, yet 12 families (comprising 28 individual members) had agreed to be interviewed.  Though the data was yet to be analysed in detail, trends seemed to indicate that: majority of the respondents reported a lack of sensitivity amongst the media, the police and variable support from the community during the immediate aftermath of the suicide by their family member.

It was jointly agreed that there should be guidelines on how to approach the family and report in a more appropriate manner, and also to consider methods by which police can be sensitized about this very important issue.