“I just didn’t want to be alive anymore” an examination of Meghan Makrle’s disclosure of suicidal ideation

Schneider, Abbey Marie

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/125627 Copy

Description

Title

“I just didn’t want to be alive anymore” an examination of Meghan Makrle’s disclosure of suicidal ideation

Author(s)

Schneider, Abbey Marie

Issue Date

2024-07-12

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Dixon, Travis L

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Dixon, Travis L

Committee Member(s)

• Tewksbury, David
• Kosenko, Kami A
• Hurley, Ryan J
• Bigman-Gailmore, Cabral
• Yang, JungHawn

Department of Study

Communication

Discipline

Communication

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• suicide
• media effects

Abstract

Suicide and suicidal ideation pose serious public health concerns. In an interview in March of 2021, Meghan Markle disclosed experiencing suicidal ideation. Extant research suggests that stories of suicidal ideation that is successfully navigated (i.e., overcoming suicidal thoughts and crises) leads to a decrease in reader suicidality and an increase in hope, termed the Papageno effect (Niederkrothentaler et al., 2010). To investigate this, in this dissertation two studies were conducted. The first study examined exposure to the initial interview with Meghan Markle and subsequent effects of this interview. The second study experimentally tested exposure to different news frames about Meghan’s disclosure. Despite no significant differences in suicidality between the experimental and control groups in both studies, important findings emerged. Audience involvement processes—such as transportation, identification, and parasocial relationships (PSR)—were found to significantly reduce suicidality. These results suggest that while direct effects on suicidality may be absent, the involvement of audiences through these processes has a protective impact. Additionally, the findings highlight the current challenges in defining and operationalizing the Papageno effect in research. The dissertation emphasizes the need for future studies to incorporate audience involvement measures and provides practical implications for suicide prevention campaigns, particularly those utilizing narratives and storytelling. Overall, this work contributes to the understanding of media effects on mental health and offers guidance for enhancing the effectiveness of suicide prevention strategies.

Graduation Semester

2024-08

Type of Resource

Thesis

Handle URL

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/125627

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2024 Abbey Schneider

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