The bell jar Valdez D'Stefano, Lucía; Matusevich, Daniel
Vertex (Buenos Aires, Argentina),
12/2022, Letnik:
33, Številka:
158, oct.-dic.
Journal Article
Review of the book: The bell jar, of Sylvia Plath. Random House, 2020.
AbstractObjectiveTo examine the association between reporting on suicides, especially deaths of celebrities by suicide, and subsequent suicides in the general population.DesignSystematic review and ...meta-analysis.Data sourcesPubMed/Medline, PsychInfo, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Google Scholar, searched up to September 2019.Review methodsStudies were included if they compared at least one time point before and one time point after media reports on suicide; follow-up was two months or less; the outcome was death by suicide; and the media reports were about non-fictional suicides. Data from studies adopting an interrupted time series design, or single or multiple arm before and after comparisons, were reviewed.Results31 studies were identified and analysed, and 20 studies at moderate risk of bias were included in the main analyses. The risk of suicide increased by 13% in the period after the media reported a death of a celebrity by suicide (rate ratio 1.13, 95% confidence interval 1.08 to 1.18; 14 studies; median follow-up 28 days, range 7-60 days). When the suicide method used by the celebrity was reported, there was an associated 30% increase in deaths by the same method (rate ratio 1.30, 95% confidence interval 1.18 to 1.44; 11 studies; median follow-up 28 days, range 14-60 days). For general reporting of suicide, the rate ratio was 1.002 (0.997 to 1.008; five studies; median follow-up 1 day, range 1-8 days) for a one article increase in the number of reports on suicide. Heterogeneity was large and partially explained by celebrity and methodological factors. Enhanced funnel plots suggested some publication bias in the literature.ConclusionsReporting of deaths of celebrities by suicide appears to have made a meaningful impact on total suicides in the general population. The effect was larger for increases by the same method as used by the celebrity. General reporting of suicide did not appear to be associated with suicide although associations for certain types of reporting cannot be excluded. The best available intervention at the population level to deal with the harmful effects of media reports is guidelines for responsible reporting. These guidelines should be more widely implemented and promoted, especially when reporting on deaths of celebrities by suicide.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42019086559.
Mona Lisa's ambiguous expression, oscillating between melancholy and contentment, has captivated viewers for centuries, prompting diverse explanations. This article proposes a novel interpretation ...grounded in the psychological theory of perceptual organisation. Central to the investigation is the "Ambiguity-Nuance", a subtly shaded, blended region framing the upper part of the lips, hypothesised to influence perceived expression due to perceptual organization. Through carefully crafted artwork and systematic manipulations of Mona Lisa reproductions, experiments reveal how alterations in the perceptual relationships of the Ambiguity-Nuance yield significant shifts in perceived expression, explaining why Mona Lisa's appearance changes and under which conditions she looks content versus melancholic based on perceptual organization. These findings underscore the pivotal role of psychological principles in shaping ambiguous expressions in the Mona Lisa, and extend to other Leonardo's portraits, namely La Bella Principessa and Scapigliata. This study sheds light on the intersection of psychology and art, offering new perspectives on timeless masterpieces.
PDF
