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Previous Volume 317:809-811 September 24, 1987 Number 13 Next

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Abstract

Gould and Shaffer studied suicides by teenagers in the New York City area before and after three fictional films about suicide were televised, and presented evidence suggesting that the films were followed by a significant increase in teenage suicides. Using their methods, we studied teenage suicides in California and Pennsylvania before and after the television broadcast of the same three films. In these states, there was no evidence of an increase in teenage suicides after the films were shown. This remained true when data for New York from the study of Gould and Shaffer were combined with our data from California and Pennsylvania. We conclude that it is premature to be concerned about possibly fatal effects of fictional televised films about suicide.

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