Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network responds to ’13 Reasons Why’

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network has issued a response to numerous inquiries the organization has received regarding the Netflix series “13 Reasons Why.”

The popular show is based on the novel by Jay Asher and portrays a high school student’s death by suicide and the aftermath.

The response says in part that portrayal of suicide in the mass media has been linked to an increase in incidence of suicide, especially when such portrayals are not accompanied by notices about available resources for those who may be suicidal or severely depressed.

“We also concur with other mental health experts that teenagers should not watch this show without a parent or guardian present,” the release states.

The network’s release goes into further detail about the show. See the entire release here. They also provide a flyer with more information.

You can also visit the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network’s website at tspn.org.

“We believe that at the minimum, the series should include some reference to a suicide prevention/crisis intervention resource, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800- 273-TALK (8255) or the Crisis Text Line (text “TN” to 741741),” the release states. “The ‘Beyond the Reasons’ companion series Netflix released alongside ’13 Reasons Why’ offers such information, but viewers must wait until after the show to see it.”

“While ’13 Reasons Why’ is far from an ideal portrayal of youth suicide, with the proper guidance it can serve as a tool for a deeper discussion about suicide, mental health, and other issues.”