Phoenix-based Banner Health said the Netflix television show "13 Reasons Why" may have played a role in the recent increase in adolescents who reported having suicidal thoughts, according to The Arizona Republic.
Jeff Nelson, a spokesperson for the health system, said three Banner Health facilities have seen an increase in the number of teenagers who reported having suicidal thoughts. He said Glendale, Ariz.-based Banner Thunderbird Medical Center treated a record-high of 25 patients in its emergency room Tuesday. Of those 25 patients, approximately 17 or 18 reported having suicidal thoughts, according to the report. The medical center typically treats roughly seven or eight patients who exhibit suicidal symptoms, Mr. Nelson said.
A second spokesperson for the health system told the Republic "most of [the patients] when assessed referenced the Netflix show '13 Reasons Why' as the reason … they were having these thoughts," according to the report.
The series, based on a 2007 novel of the same name, chronicles the 13 reasons why a fictional high school girl commits suicide.
Experts said that while no data exists that indicates the television show directly caused teenagers to contemplate suicide, patients may relate to the show's central character's feelings and be influenced by their actions.