Mind comments on Vice magazine's fashion shoot depicting suicide

The national magazine's Fiction issue features photographs that re-enact the deaths of famous writers.

Alison Kerry, Head of Media at the mental health charity Mind, said:

It is astonishing that Vice magazine has acted so insensitively and irresponsibly.

There are over 6,000 suicides a year in the UK and thousands more people will attempt suicide or seriously contemplate taking their own life.

This fashion shoot styled around suicide is not only in incredibly poor taste it also risks glamorising and romanticising suicide.

The media has a duty of care to present suicide in a responsible way, research shows that media coverage of suicide, particularly graphic imagery illustrating the method used, can lead to copycat deaths.

Media coverage can help promote awareness around mental wellbeing; however, bad reporting can contribute to misunderstanding and negative attitudes towards people who experience mental distress. If you've seen or heard media coverage that you deem to be discriminatory or offensive, you can make a complaint by writing to the newspaper or magazine or submitting a formal complaint to the Press Complaints Commission (PCC). You can find out more about this process by visiting the Complain to the media page.

This content could be triggering for some people. If you are concerned about your own mental health or you know someone who might be experiencing suicidal feelings, call the Mind Infoline or read How to cope with suicidal feelings.