Recent 13 Reasons Why Research

Please attribute to headspace Executive Director Clinical Practice, Vikki Ryall:

The National Institutes of Health research is evidence of the very real impact and risk that exposure to harmful suicide depictions can create. Shows like 13 Reasons Why expose viewers to risky suicide content and may lead to a distressing reaction by the viewer, particularly if the audience is children and young people.

Following the debut of 13 Reasons Why, headspace received growing numbers of calls and emails directly related to the program, both from concerned parents and from distressed young people which prompted us to issue a national warning about the risk to young people of viewing graphic suicide content. We also provided schools across Australia with resources to help them manage conversations with their school communities about viewing the show safely.

When 13 Reasons Why Season 2 was announced, headspace wanted to ensure viewers and the wider community were safe and informed about the shows difficult content. We worked with Netflix to provide helpful information for young people, parents and schools to read before the show launched. Three tailored resources were created to provide information on how to have safe conversations about the show and how to respond to each of the difficult and tough themes appropriately.

While we cannot stop anyone from watching 13 Reasons Why Season 3, we can strongly recommend that people have access to helpful and safe information, and encourage parents to consider the risks of exposure to specific details related to suicide.

For media enquiries please contact: Bronte Tarn-Weir, headspace Communications Manager on 0413 025 385 or btarnweir@headspace.org.au