Do online media adhere to the responsible suicide reporting guidelines? A cross sectional study from India

2020 ◽  
pp. 002076402097579
Author(s):  
Sonika Raj ◽  
Abhishek Ghosh ◽  
Babita Sharma ◽  
Sonu Goel

Background: The content and nature of media reports could influence suicide prevention measures. Aim: To evaluate contemporary online media reports’ compliance with guidelines for responsible reporting of suicidal acts from Indian resources. Methods: We included English and Hindi articles for reports concerning suicide, published by local and national media sources for 30 consecutive days from the day of death of a celebrity by alleged suicide. The search was performed in Google News with predefined search queries and selection criteria. Two independent investigators did data extraction. Subsequently, each news report was assessed against guidelines for the responsible reporting of suicide by the WHO and the Press Council of India. Results: We identified 295 articles (Hindi n =  172, English n =  123). Results showed more than 80% of the media reports deviated from at least one criterion of the recommendations. A maximum breach was seen in the news article’s headlines, sensational reportage and detailed suicide methods description. Significant differences were seen in the quality of English and Hindi reporting and reporting celebrity and noncelebrity suicide. Additional items revealed were reporting suicide pacts, linking multiple suicides in a single news report, allowing user-generated threads and linking Religion and suicide. Conclusion: Measures are required to implement reporting recommendations in the framework of a national suicide prevention strategy.

Author(s):  
Sabine Kaiser ◽  
Henriette Kyrrestad ◽  
Monica Martinussen

Abstract Background In the first months of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, many countries took radical prevention measures. Authorities had to communicate with the public regularly to explain and ensure compliance with these measures and promote safety. The information given by authorities was mainly developed for adults, but children and adolescents may have different needs when it comes to information. This study examined how adolescents perceived information about Covid-19 provided by the media and other sources, and about what topics adolescents reported they lacked information during the first months of the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods Three hundred seventy-seven adolescents in 11th, 12th, and 13th grade in Norwegian upper secondary schools (67% girls) completed an online questionnaire. Analyses included descriptive statistics, in addition to Generalized Linear Mixed Models analyses to examine gender differences in adolescents’ satisfaction with the information provided about Covid-19, to what extent the pandemic affected their everyday life, and to what extent they were concerned about becoming infected with Covid-19. Results The results showed that the majority of adolescents used the internet as the main source of information about Covid-19, followed by (online) newspapers. About half (49%) reported that they were satisfied with the information available, while 39% were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, and 12% were dissatisfied. Adolescents wanted more information about the school situation, as well as virus- and future-related topics. A total of 21% reported that they were concerned about becoming infected with Covid-19. There was no significant gender difference in overall satisfaction with the information provided about Covid-19. Girls reported being significantly more affected by the pandemic than boys, and that they were significantly more concerned than boys about becoming infected with Covid-19. Conclusions This survey provides important knowledge to professionals working with adolescents, as well as to authorities, about what information channels can be used to reach adolescents, and what information they lacked about the Covid-19 pandemic.


Author(s):  
Veronika Unun Pratiwi ◽  
Nofrahadi Nofrahadi ◽  
Apri Pendri ◽  
Dina Komalasari ◽  
Sumarlam Sumarlam

This article critically examines the news of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the press. This article tries to examine how the COVID-19 news is used for political and ideological purposes. To achieve this goal, an analysis was carried out on the Kompas.com Online Media newspaper on 11 June 2020 and 05 September 2020. The Van Dijk news scheme framework is used to analyze reports selected from selected topics of Covid 19. Van Dijk's news scheme is very important to analyze every news (report) whether the news is taken from news channels or newspapers and whether broadcast or printed. Based on data analysis, the article found that COVID-19 news had been politicized and used for ideological purposes. The article recommends that a pandemic should not be politicized by either the media or any party, but we must work together so that the government and media personnel are able to work effectively and deal with this long-running pandemic. 


Author(s):  
Deepak Ghormode ◽  
Pramod Gupta ◽  
Devendra Ratnani ◽  
S. K. Singh

Background: Managing patients with suicide attempts effectively requires overcoming barriers to their care. The attitudes and beliefs of the healthcare professionals have significant effect on the outcome of the treatment and implementation of the preventive strategies. Objectives: Aim of the study was to assess the attitude of nursing students toward suicide prevention. Materials and Methods: The study had a cross sectional design of 284 nursing students who were randomly recruited from the two institutions. Attitude toward suicide prevention scale was administered.  Results: Most were young single females, from rural locality, who were pursuing either BSc Nursing or GNM courses. Very few had previous exposure to suicide prevention training programmes. Nearly half of the students showed favourable attitude towards patients with suicidal attempt, considering it as their responsibility and their efforts as rewarding. Nearly half students also showed empathy towards these patients not considering the attempts as just attention seeking ones. Nearly one third were uncertain whether the patients reveal their plans of attempt and whether the suicide prevention measures were draining of the resources. Half of the subjects showed pessimism towards modifying the risk factors of unemployment and poverty. Conclusions: Only half of the nursing students showed favourable attitude working with patients with suicide attempts. More educational and training programs on suicide prevention are therefore needed in these students for better prevention and management of these patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reema M. Alhussein ◽  
Mansoor M. Albarrak ◽  
Abdulaziz A. Alrabiah ◽  
Nawfal A. Aljerian ◽  
Hashim M. Bin Salleeh ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Most sudden cardiac arrests occur at home, with low rates of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation being performed. We aimed to assess knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation among individuals in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia, who are not involved in health care. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted between January and February 2020 in 4 different areas in Riyadh City: North, South, East, and West. The participants were surveyed using a validated self-administered questionnaire. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25.0 was used for inferential statistics and binary logistic regression analysis. Results A total of 856 participants completed the questionnaire, 51.8% were unaware of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Only 4.4% of the participants had attended a formal cardiopulmonary resuscitation training course, 5.1% were campaign attendees, and 38.7% acquired their experience through the media. Having a higher level of education was positively associated with having knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The main concern among attendees of cardiopulmonary resuscitation training courses and campaigns was legal issues, whereas inadequate knowledge was the major barrier for those who had learned about cardiopulmonary resuscitation through the media. Conclusion The level of knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation among non-health care individuals in Riyadh City was found to be insufficient. Therefore, coordinated efforts among different authorities should be considered to implement a structured strategy aiming to increase awareness and knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation among non-health care individuals.


Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 109
Author(s):  
Alberto Forte ◽  
Giuseppe Sarli ◽  
Lorenzo Polidori ◽  
David Lester ◽  
Maurizio Pompili

Background and objectives: Suicide in adolescents represents a major public health concern. To date, a growing number of suicide preventive strategies based on the use of new technologies are emerging. We aimed to provide an overview of the present literature on the use of new technologies in adolescent suicide prevention. Materials and methods: An electronic search was run using the following keywords: Technology OR Technologies OR APP OR Application OR mobile application) AND (Adolescent OR youth OR puberty) AND (Suicid* OR Self-harm OR self-destruction). Inclusion criteria were: English language, published in a peer-reviewed journal, suicide prevention with the use of new technologies among adolescents. Results: Our search strategy yielded a total of 12 studies on the use of telemedicine, 7 on mobile applications, and 3 on language detection. We also found heterogeneity regarding the study design: 3 are randomized controlled trials (RCT), 13 are open-label single group trials, 2 are randomized studies, and 1 is a cross-sectional study. Telemedicine was the most adopted tool, especially web-based approaches. Mobile applications mostly focused on screening of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation, and for clinical monitoring through the use of text messages. Although telepsychiatry and mobile applications can provide a fast and safe tool, supporting and preceding a face-to-face clinical assessment, only a few studies demonstrated efficacy in preventing suicide among adolescents through the use of these interventions. Some studies suggested algorithms able to recognize people at risk of suicide from the exploration of the language on social media posts. Conclusions: New technologies were found to be well accepted and tolerated supports for suicide prevention in adolescents. However, to date, few data support the use of such interventions in clinical practice and preventive strategies. Further studies are needed to test their efficacy in suicide prevention among adolescents and young adults.


Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 566
Author(s):  
Abanoub Riad ◽  
Huthaifa Abdulqader ◽  
Mariana Morgado ◽  
Silvi Domnori ◽  
Michal Koščík ◽  
...  

Background: Acceleration of mass vaccination strategies is the only pathway to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare professionals and students have a key role in shaping public opinion about vaccines. This study aimed to evaluate the attitudes of dental students globally towards COVID-19 vaccines and explore the potential drivers for students’ acceptance levels. Methods: A global cross-sectional study was carried out in February 2021 using an online questionnaire. The study was liaised by the scientific committee of the International Association of Dental Students (IADS), and data were collected through the national and local coordinators of IADS member organizations. The dependent variable was the willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine, and the independent variables included demographic characteristics, COVID-19-related experience, and the drivers of COVID-19 vaccine-related attitude suggested by the WHO SAGE. Results: A total of 6639 students from 22 countries, representing all world regions, responded to the questionnaire properly. Their mean age was 22.1 ± 2.8 (17–40) years, and the majority were females (70.5%), in clinical years (66.8%), and from upper-middle-income economies (45.7%). In general, 22.5% of dental students worldwide were hesitant, and 13.9% rejected COVID-19 vaccines. The students in low- and lower-middle-income (LLMI) economies had significantly higher levels of vaccine hesitancy compared to their peers in upper-middle- and high-income (UMHI) economies (30.4% vs. 19.8%; p < 0.01). Conclusions: The global acceptance level of dental students for COVID-19 vaccines was suboptimal, and their worrisome level of vaccine hesitancy was influenced by the socioeconomic context where the dental students live and study. The media and social media, public figures, insufficient knowledge about vaccines, and mistrust of governments and the pharmaceutical industry were barriers to vaccination. The findings of this study call for further implementation of epidemiology (infectious diseases) education within undergraduate dental curricula.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
G Graffigna ◽  
S Barello ◽  
L Palamenghi ◽  
M Savarese ◽  
G Castellini

Abstract Background At the end of February 2020 a new case was diagnosed with COVID-19 in north Italy, suddenly followed by new cases. Italian health authorities decided to enforce restrictive measures. Northern areas of Italy were identified as “red areas” to slow down the epidemic and its impact on the healthcare system. From this perspective, the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy constitutes a testing ground for the assessment of the ability of consumers to cope with this health risk. Methods A cross-sectional study on a representative sample of 1000 Italian citizens was conducted over the period 27 February- 5 March exploring the following hypotheses: 1) less engaged individuals are more concerned for the health emergency and feel more vulnerable; 2) less engaged have higher probability to develop negative attitudes and dysfunctional behaviors. Results only the 16% the interviewees presented a high level of engagement. Lower levels of engagement were measured in the southern parts of Italy (not yet touched by the epidemics at the time of data collection). People with lowers levels of engagement reported higher fears for the contagion and sense of vulnerability. Furthermore, they showed the lower levels of trust in the Public Health Authorities, in medical research and in vaccines. Finally, they appeared more dismissive in their preventive behaviors and more disorganized in the fruition of the healthcare services. Conclusions A psychological analysis of processes of attitudinal and role change in the direction of becoming more engaged in health prevention is worthy in order to forecast potential dysfunctional reactions to restrictive health prevention measures and to orient personalized education initiatives to consumers with different level of engagement. Key messages Profiling based on the levels of health engagement is important in order to plan more effective healthcare measures during epidemics. Targeted educational initiatives should take into account citizens' engagement profiles.


Author(s):  
Rachel J. Viggars ◽  
Andrew Finney ◽  
Barnabas Panayiotou

Summary Background More people are living with frailty and requiring additional health and support services. To improve their management, the “Frailty: Core Capability Framework” in the United Kingdom recommends frailty education for older individuals, their families, carers and health professionals. We performed a systematic review of specific educational programmes for these groups. Methods Electronic databases were searched using dedicated search terms and inclusion criteria. To improve accuracy, two reviewers carried out the screening and selection of research papers. Information from included studies was collected using a tailored data extraction template, and quality appraisal tools were used to assess the rigour of the studies. The findings were analysed to identify key themes. Results A total of 11 studies met the criteria and were included in the review. The study populations ranged from 12 to 603 and the research designs were heterogeneous (6 qualitative; 2 randomised controlled trials; 1 quasi-experimental; 1 mixed methods; 1 cross-sectional study). Whilst some methodological shortcomings were identified, all studies contributed valuable information. The results underwent narrative synthesis, which elucidated four thematic domains: (1) accessibility of educational programmes, (2) empowerment, (3) self-care, and (4) health promotion (especially exercise and nutrition). Conclusion Educational programmes for older people, their carers and health professionals are important for effective frailty prevention and management. To be maximally beneficial, they should be easily accessible to all target populations and include empowerment, self-care and health promotion. Further research should explore the formulation of widely applicable, user-friendly programmes and delivery formats that can be tailored to different client groups.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Yakobo Nyahoga ◽  
Zanda Bochkaeva

University campuses are potential reservoirs of infectious diseases, but they are not in the research focus. It is obvious that the use of malaria preventive tools is extremely necessary in campus conditions in endemic countries. This study is the first malaria survey, conducted in a student campus in Tanzania. This cross-sectional study uncovered a surprisingly high prevalence of malaria history among students: 89,4% of 246 random respondents assume that they had malaria in history, among whom 145 (58,9%) suffered from the disease during the last year. And although students are relatively confident about the vector, parasite, and prevention measures of the disease, only 44,7% of the students use bed nets and 4,5% use a body spray or ointment daily. The others seldom use spray or ointment or do not care about the problem at all. This situation was found to be associated with two factors, financial and educational. Current results show that students are relatively educated on malaria, but they do not follow the malaria prevention guidance. It has become clear that at least proper informational propaganda of bed net use is required in Tanzanian university campuses.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 139-144
Author(s):  
Chevin Ramadhan Hadiwijaya ◽  
Muhammad Imam Zan Zabiyla Analuddin ◽  
Ayikacantya Sudayasa ◽  
Muhammad Hoki Akbar ◽  
Lilyana Aritonia Ahmad ◽  
...  

Background: Adequate health systems and effective strategies are needed to increase trust and acceptance in vaccines. Generation Z is more concerned with environmental issues related to the pandemic situation.Objective: This study aimed to assess the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine in Generation Z.Methods: This was an observational analytical study with a cross-sectional design on generation Z in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, from May to July 2021. The samples were taken by cluster sampling using faculty classification. Data was collected using a questionnaire with a google form, included the characteristics, knowledge regarding COVID-19 and vaccine, and the media information.Results: There were 396 participants. Most of them were 20 years (52.6%), female (74.8%), and Muslim (93.7%). About 61.6% live outside the city and had insurance (77.3%). Half of the participants knew the COVID-19 symptoms (51.26%), some participants were hesitant (11.8%) and did not even know (0.76%). Almost all participants were aware of the COVID-19 vaccination program (99.2%), benefits (95.2%), side effects (84.1%), and knew the contents of the COVID-19 vaccine (62.1%). Most of them were willing to take the COVID-19 vaccine (77.8%). However, 17.93% were hesitant, and 4.29% were unwilling to participate. Most participants were not trusting vaccines (43.9%), did not feel the need (29.3%), and felt access was not easy (26.8%). Most of them used social media to get information about COVID-19 (89.1%).Conclusion: Generation Z has a good acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine, even though there are still doubts and rejects. Accurately and sustainable information is needed.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document