Quality of Newspaper Reporting of Suicidal Behaviour in Kuwait

1.Abstract Background : Suicide is a growing global problem. Through its reporting of this issue, the media plays a significant role in influencing suicidal behaviour among the general public. However, the quality of suicide news coverage in Kuwait has not been evaluated. Objectives: We aimed to assess the quality of newspaper reporting of suicidal behaviours in Kuwait against the World Health Organization’s (WHO) reporting guidelines. Methods : We searched the available content in four Arabic newspapers and assessed their adherence to the WHO media guidelines. We collected the reports between January 18, 2015, and September 3, 2021. Results : A total of 254 news reports were analysed. The suicide method was mentioned in 98% of the reports. The term ‘suicide’ was mentioned in 99.2% of the headlines, and the method of suicide was mentioned in about 70.1% of the headlines. Only 7.9% of the reports referred to mental illness, and one stated evidence of substance abuse. Only 6.3% gave the statistics on suicide, one mentioned educative information, and none of the reports mentioned expert opinions, prevention programmes, research findings, or contact information to reach out for help. Conclusion: The study revealed that the news reporting of suicide in Kuwait adhered poorly to the WHO media reporting guidelines. Therefore, further research should be undertaken to investigate the relevant factors and culture-specific prevention strategies.