Netflix's '13 Reasons Why' Linked to Suicide-Related Internet Searches

Netflix's recently released series "13 Reasons Why" has caused quite a stir among mental health advocates due to its depiction of teen suicide. New research suggests critics' concerns may be well-founded.

The series is associated with an uptick in suicide-related internet searches, according to a study published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine. Researchers used Google Trends to gather data on U.S. internet searches with the word "suicide" in them, and excluded those containing the word "squad" because of the unrelated "Suicide Squad" film. They used historical search trends to compare post-series suicide search frequency to a hypothetical present-day situation in which "13 Reasons Why" was never released.

These searches took place between March 31, 2017 – the date the series premiered – and April 18. They focused on these dates because of former NFL player Aaron Hernandez's suicide, which he completed April 19, which could have also affected trends.

All searches for "suicide" were 19 percent higher than expected during this period. This partially had to do with larger-than-anticipated numbers for searches like "suicide hotline" and "suicide

prevention," which were 12 percent and 23 percent higher respectively. But the crux of the issue lies in the uptick in phrases such as "how to commit suicide," which were up 26 percent.

"13 Reasons Why" is the story of high school student Hannah Baker's suicide and all the people who played a part in it – a controversial message in itself. The show's season finale features her suicide in a graphic, three-minute scene.

Research has previously linked increased internet searches for suicide methods with completed suicides, though it's unclear if any of these searches led to such an outcome in the wake of the show, study author John W. Ayers said in a statement. Ayers is an associate research professor at San Diego State University's Graduate School of Public Health.

The results aren't surprising, given how a stigmatized and misunderstood topic like suicide would leave people wanting to learn more, according to Bethlehem, Connecticut-based Caroline Fenkel, a psychotherapist at Newport Academy treatment centers, which help teens struggling with mental health issues, eating disorders and substance abuse. But she points out that this is what the series intends.

"This research isn't reflective of increased suicide attempts, just an increased desire to understand, which is the ultimate goal of the Netflix series: to build awareness and create a platform for having these tough conversations," she wrote in an email. "This highlights the need for continued discussion in schools, at home and in safe environments, so that teens and parents can get accurate information and education.” She was not involved in the study.

Still, study author Ayers cautions the show could have indeed sparked dangerous interest.

"While it's heartening that the series' release concurred with increased awareness of suicide and suicide prevention, like those searching for 'suicide prevention,' our results back up the worst fears of the show's critics: The show may have inspired many to act on their suicidal thoughts by seeking out information on how to commit suicide," he adds.

The Washington Post notes that hundreds of U.S. school superintendents sent parents warnings about the show's potentially damaging effect on children's mental health and the risk of suicide contagion. For 10- to 24-year-olds, suicide is the second leading cause of death.

Ayers and his team want Netflix to take the show down and edit it so that it adheres to World Health Organization standards regarding suicide. These guidelines include the discouraging of content that lingers on suicide or an act of suicide – something that happens over all 13 hours of the show.

The series will return for a second season on Netflix in 2018. The streaming giant is slated to launch another series tackling mental health this summer, "Atypical," whose teenage main character has autism spectrum disorder. It premieres August 11.