News

As further details on the Western Downs incident and the alleged perpetrators emerge, Australian media professionals are reminded to apply Mindframe guidelines when reporting on mental illness in the context of violent crime, as well as the use of drugs.

To ensure accuracy when reporting about mental illness in the context of violent crime, media should avoid:

• Assuming the cause of crime or violence is mental illness
• Attributing a mental illness to someone purely because their actions are shocking or seem inexplicable
• Speculating about the person featured in a story having a mental illness
• Implying that everyone with a mental illness is violent, or is a risk to the public
• Asking for an ‘on air’ diagnosis from mental health experts.

Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Mindframe for Journalism Education Ossie Awards, Lucy Waldron and Brooke Young, presented at the Journalism Education and Research Association of Australia (JERAA) Conference.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) will tomorrow release its 2021 Causes of Death data. This data set will include annual national suicide information.

Media and communications professionals reporting on the data and findings included in this report are encouraged to be thoughtful, responsible and accurate to reduce the risk of harm or stigma for those in the community with lived experience of mental ill-health and suicide.

Everymind will be hosting a joint online briefing session with the ABS for media and those working in the mental health and suicide prevention sector on the statistics specifically relating to suicide deaths.

Hearings for the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide are scheduled to recommence on Tuesday 18 October. Australian media are reminded to report safely and sensitively on issues relating to suicide.

Everymind has today launched a new set of guidelines aimed at reducing the use of potentially stigmatising imagery in news and other public communication about mental ill-health, suicide and alcohol and other drugs (AOD).

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) will be releasing its 2021 Causes of Death data on Wednesday, 19 October 2022 at 11:30am AEDT. This data set will include annual national suicide information.

Everymind will host a joint online briefing session with the ABS for media and those working in the mental health and suicide prevention sector on the statistics specifically relating to suicide deaths.

Australian media professionals are reminded to apply Mindframe guidelines when reporting on suspected suicide deaths.

Avoid or minimise detailed descriptions of method and location, particularly when reporting from the scene. Research has shown that communicating details of method and location can increase suicidal behaviour in the community. It is recommended to refer to public locations in general and non-descriptive terms.

Please be mindful of the prominence and quantity of reporting being released, as prolonged and sustained reporting can have significant lasting negative impacts on the individuals, organisations and communities involved.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) will tomorrow release the 2020-21 National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing. This is the first time this survey has been conducted since 2007.

The report provides data on a range of issues including mental illness and suicide. Research shows that prominent and sensationalised media reporting about these themes can be stigmatising and reduce the likelihood of help-seeking behaviours by those who may be personally impacted or in need of support.

Following a recent increase in reporting related to youth suicide and bullying, it is important to consider the impact this can have on communities. Australian media and communicators have an important role to play in reducing harm to communities when communicating about youth suicide.

With the Federal Budget set to be released on Tuesday and a national election due by 21 May, Members of Parliament, candidates, journalists and other commentators are urged to be mindful of how they publicly discuss mental health and suicide.