Teen suicides rose after Netflix screened '13 Reasons Why', claims study

The teen suicide rate among boys in the US spiked following the release of drama series 13 Reasons Why, according to a new study.

The study, conducted by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, which was funded by the National Institute of Health, found that there were 195 more suicides than the expected figures among boys aged 10 to 17.

It says the rise began after the March 31, 2017, release of the series, which follows the aftermath of a girl taking her own life.

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In the month of April, 2017, more suicides occurred than in any April in the previous nine years, and though the show follows the suicide of a girl, suicide rates in teenage boys leapt 28.9 percent.

The show was criticised at the time of its release for appearing to romanticise suicide, and was condemned by a number of mental health groups.

“The results of this study should raise awareness that young people are particularly vulnerable to the media,” said the study’s co-author Lisa Horowitz from the National Institute of Mental Health (via Variety).

“All disciplines, including the media, need to take good care to be constructive and thoughtful about topics that intersect with public health crises.”

Following the series airing, several leading voices in clinical psychology warned of the risks of ‘suicide contagion’.

Suicide helplines around the world also recorded an increase in calls, while the superintendent of schools in Palm Beach, Florida, raised the alarm over an increase in self-harming and suicidal behaviour among students.

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In a statement released by Netflix yesterday, it said: “This is a critically important topic and we have worked hard to ensure that we handle this sensitive issue responsibly.”

The series was adapted from the 2007 book of the same name by Jay Asher, which followed the story of Hannah Baker, played by Katherine Langford, a teenager who takes her own life and leaves seven cassette tapes detailing why she did so for those she considered responsible.

Some critics picked up on its potentially problematic tone, the Washington Post saying it was ‘remarkably, even dangerously, naive in its understanding of suicide’.