title: Suicide in films: the impact of suicide portrayals on nonsuicidal viewers' well-being and the effectiveness of censorship.
abstract: The effects of suicide films on recipients' emotional and mental state, as well as the influence of censorship, was studied. Nonsuicidal subjects watched the original or a censored version of a suicide film or a drama without suicide. Data were collected by questionnaires. The viewing led to a deterioration of mood and an increase in inner tension and depression scores, but also to a rise in self-esteem and life satisfaction and to a drop in suicidality. There were no relevant differences between the film groups. The more a subject identified with the protagonist, the greater were the negative effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. benedikt.till@chello.at
authors.forename: Benedikt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Till
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Niederkrotenthaler
authors.forename: Arno
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Herberth
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vitouch
authors.forename: Gernot
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sonneck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001317:Austria; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009040:Motion Pictures; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012649:Self Concept; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires