Image from https://www.netflix.com/title/80117470

Depression and suicide have been depicted in media entertainment from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to Netflix’s new controversial show, 13 Reasons Why. Here, I will discuss the impact fictional portrayals of depression and suicide have on viewers. Can they trigger copycat suicides like has been found with news coverage and celebrity suicides? Are there populations that are at greater risk? How do depictions of teen depression and suicide impact the knowledge and attitudes of adolescents?