I recently changed up the format of reporting I do with my local NBC affiliate station KING5 News. I’m doing more of a weekly roundup of pediatric studies, current events and newsworthy topics that I think are important for parents to know about. For those of you who aren’t able to tune in, I wanted to share a brief synopsis of what I’m covering. Let me know what you think! What topics would you want me to talk about?
1. 13 Reasons Why: Netflix released the second season of “13 Reasons Why” a popular show about a high school student’s suicide. A recent Pediatrics study that found hospitalization rates are increasing for suicide attempts and ideation (doubled between 2008-2015), so this show’s release was particularly untimely. I really appreciate the HealthyChildren.org page with strategies for parents to discuss the show with their teens. These portrayals in media matter: using Google Analytics, data found that there was a significant increase in online searches for suicide, including searches for how to kill oneself, in the days after 13 Reasons Why debuted. This increase reflected as many as 1.5 million more searches than expected, with a 26% spike in searches for the phrase “how to commit suicide.” Reminder that all teens should be screened every year for depression starting at age 12. Here’s a fantastic piece with 13 Things All Pediatricians Should Know About 13 Reasons Why but I think all parents should, too.