“13 Reasons Why” Raises Questions Over Media And Mental Health

“13 Reasons Why” Raises Questions Over Media And Mental Health

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The Netflix series “13 Reasons Why” graphically depicts a teenager’s suicide. Research suggests the show could encourage copycats, and some school administrators say they’ve seen an increase in student self-harm. Netflix consulted with mental health professionals on the show and the company says the series has “opened up a dialogue” on a difficult subject. However, it has since added additional warnings to episodes of the program. Are kids really as impressionable as the news about “13 Reasons Why” makes them seem? Joining Joshua Johnson to discuss this topic is Dr. Victor Schwartz, chief medical officer at The Jed Foundation, Dr. Rona Hu, medical director of the Acute Psychiatric Inpatient Unit at Stanford Hospital and Marissa Martinelli, a writer at Slate. We would also like to remind listeners that the National Suicide Prevention Hotline can be reached at 1-800-273-8255.