Influence of Famous Entertainer's Suicides on Suicide Attempts of the Public

유명 연예인 자살보도가 일반인의 자살시도에 미치는 영향

Purpose: The study explored the influence of the suicide of two famous entertainers on the suicide attempts of the public. Method: The subjects of the descriptive study were 888 suicide attempt patients recruited from October 2007 to September 2009 in an emergency centre located in S-city. The research tools were developed at the Centre for Disease Control. Results: The frequency of suicide attempts during the 6 months and 12 months preceding and following the gas-related suicide of celebrity A were ${\chi}^2$=18.14 and ${\chi}^2$=25.97, respectively, and both were significant(both p<.001). The frequency of suicide attempts of the 6 and 12months before and after the release of report of celebrity B's hanging suicide were ${\chi}^2$=3.85 and ${\chi}^2$=3.47, respectively, and both were significant (both p<.05). Conclusion: These results showed that reports of suicide of celebrities influences suicide attempts of the public. Multiple factors that can influence suicide attempts should be further identified and researched.