C
Abstract : Exposure to
fictional suicide scenes raises concerns about the risk of suicide
contagion. However, researchers and clinicians still lack empirical
evidence to estimate this risk. Here, we propose a theory-grounded tool
that measures properties related to aberrant identification and suicidal
contagion of potentially harmful suicide scenes. Methods. The items of
the Movies and Video: Identification and Emotions in reaction to Suicide
(MoVIES) operationalize the World Health Organization's recommendations
for media coverage of suicide, and were adapted and completed with
identification theory principles and cinematographic evidence.
Inter-rater reliability (Cohen's kappa) and internal consistency
(Cronbach's alpha) were estimated and optimized for two series of 19 and
30 randomly selected movies depicting a suicide scene. The validity of
the scale in predicting identification with the suicidal character was
tested in nine unknowledgeable participants who watched seven suicide
movie scenes each. Results. The MoVIES indicated satisfying psychometric
properties with kappas measured at 0.7 or more for every item and a
global internal consistency of [α = 0.05]. The MoVIES score
significantly predicted participants' strength of identification
independently from their baseline empathy ((β = 0.20), p < 0.05).
Conclusions. The MoVIES is available to scholars as a valid, reliable,
and useful tool to estimate the amount of at-risk components of
fictional suicidal behavior depicted in films, series, or television
shows.