Media Portrayals of Suicide's Risk and Protective Factors in Slovenia (1959 – 1999)

Nuša Zadravec Šedivy; Polonca Borko; Vanja  Gomboc; Vita Poštuvan

doi:10.51663/pnz.64.2.11

Authors

Nuša Zadravec Šedivy Slovene Centre for Suicide Research, Andrej Marušič Institute, University of Primorska
Polonca Borko Slovene Centre for Suicide Research, Andrej Marušič Institute, University of Primorska
Vanja Gomboc Slovene Centre for Suicide Research, Andrej Marušič Institute, University of Primorska
Vita Poštuvan Slovene Centre for Suicide Research, Andrej Marušič Institute, University of Primorska

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51663/pnz.64.2.11

Keywords:

suicide, risk factors, protective factors, media, attitudes

Abstract

This study examined the historical shifts in Slovenian public attitudes towards suicide by analyzing media coverage in two major Slovenian newspapers from 1959 to 1999. We conducted a database search and analyzed 1,785 relevant articles from an initial pool of 13,042 hits. Our findings reveal that the media reported more frequently on risk factors for suicide than on protective factors across the decades. The most frequently mentioned risk factors included individual characteristics such as gender and mental health issues, with community factors becoming more prominent over time. Regarding protective factors, the focus paralleled the emphasis on individual risk factors, with interpersonal factors primarily reported in the 1960s and a growing recognition of community factors by the 1990s. This underscores a broader shift towards holistic understanding of risk and protecitve factors, with community-based approaches in suicide prevention, reflecting evolving public health paradigms.

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