Community Corner

Why Is Patch Publishing the Name of Someone Who May Be Suicidal?

A look at how and why we made a decision that some readers think is wrong.

To our readers:

Several of you have written us asking about our decision to publish the name of a Danville man who police say tried to kill himself Sunday by running his car into a pole at 5 p.m. on a busy local street.

Believe me, telling the story of such a painful incident -- especially when it might be easier for the friends and family if we didn't -- is not something any journalist takes lightly. Like most Americans, we too know people with mental illness. We too have had family members who have committed suicide or have attempted it.

Find out what's happening in Danvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

After a family friend contacted us Monday and asked us to remove the name, we had about a half dozen phone conversations involving four Patch editors. We decided that to take this person's name out would send the wrong message -- that we can't talk openly about suicide and mental illness. This would ultimately keep us from fulfilling our mission of giving our community all the information we can to help people openly discuss problems and ultimately make strides toward solving them.

Other factors also influenced our decision. This incident is being investigated by the California Highway Patrol. This incident happened in full public view and could have killed or severely injured other members of our community. It's important to remember that someone who is mentally ill and suicidal can be a risk to public safety.

Find out what's happening in Danvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Just last week in neighboring San Ramon a person who many say was suffering from mental anguish stole a car and a gun and threatened a store clerk before he was shot to death by police. Most people didn't question our decision to publish his name, because he was involved in an obvious crime, but really his story likely is also one of mental illness.

In the case of the Danville man, it's also important to note that he has long been involved in area public schools and local youth sports. This tragic situation is going to affect many, many more people than just his immediate family. Informing this wider community is also our responsibility. And, even if we were to report nothing, the rumors and misinformation would be flying, creating even more problems.

On Tuesday, seven Patch editors – including several experienced journalists who have covered suicide and depression – had a conference call to talk more about our coverage. We revisited our decision to publish the name and agreed again it was the right choice. Then we talked about how we can do more to raise awareness and provide coverage that might help some readers.

The Centers for Disease Control notes in its suicide strategy report that the stigma surrounding this mental health issue keeps people from seeking help and makes it difficult for services to receive funding.

The CDC states, "Despite the fact that effective treatments exist for these disorders and conditions, the stigma of mental illness and substance abuse prevents many persons from seeking assistance; they fear prejudice and discrimination. About two thirds of people with mental disorders do not seek treatment."

By including Leif Bostrom's name, we don't want to hurt him or his family. In fact we hope the community reaches out to them in their time of need and anyone else suffering from mental illness. 

As the CDC notes, the family members of a suicidal person suffer not only grief over  their loved one's actions but through but the pain of isolation from "a community that may be perplexed and uninformed about suicide and its risk factors."

So what's next? We want to take this opportunity, when this topic is fresh on all of our minds, and look at the problem as a whole. We will be talking to mental health experts and local crisis centers to offer resources for those in need.

We hope everyone can understand our decision and even share their own personal stories as we attempt to encourage the public to face their discomfort over talking about suicide.

 


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