Whether he died of cancer or took his own life can be reported in the beginning of the story. The deceased should be described as having died by suicide, rather than as a suicide. The latter reduces the person to the mode of death. Be sensitive to the feelings of grieving family members when interviewing them. Also, research shows that the period immediately after a suicide is not a time when they can be expected to be best able to help you understand what happened.
Responses can be extreme, and motives can be complicated.
Psychological autopsies show that, although the first shocked reaction of informants may be to deny that there were any warning signs or symptoms, most suicide victims exhibit warning signs of their impending suicide. Some informants are inclined to scapegoat a family member, a school or a particular teacher. A thorough investigation almost universally finds multiple causes and fails to corroborate such a simple explanation. Back to top Special Situations Take particular care in reporting suicide attempts by celebrities whose deaths will receive prominent coverage. Celebrity suicides have been shown to have a greater contagious influence.