Media coverage of suicide can influence population suicide rates. While reports of suicide deaths are often associated with increased suicides (Werther effect), stories of survival may be associated with reductions (Papageno effect). On 11 September 2024, news outlets widely reported musician Jon Bon Jovi intervening to stop a woman’s suicide attempt in Tennessee.

To assess whether this highly publicised intervention was associated with contemporaneous reductions in suicide deaths in Tennessee and 19 comparison states.

We conducted quasi-Poisson time-series analyses of monthly suicide deaths from 2014 to 2024, adjusting for macroeconomic indicators and seasonality. To ensure geographic and temporal specificity, we employed a two-stage validation framework including temporal placebo testing (116 iterations) and comparison across 19 states (60 subgroups, by total and gender) using Benjamini–Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) correction.

In Tennessee, a significant reduction in suicide mortality occurred in September 2024 (risk ratio 0.78; percentile: 0.9%). The effect was most robust among Tennessean males (risk ratio 0.74), at the 0.9th percentile of the historical distribution. This was the only subgroup among 60 examined to maintain statistical significance after FDR adjustment (p < 0.001). No significant deviation was observed among Tennessean females or within comparison states after multiple testing corrections.

This study provides the first evidence of a Papageno effect following a widely publicised, real-life survival story. The localised impact suggests a local exposure and/or resonance factor, while the male-specific reduction may reflect identification with the male intervener (i.e. Bon Jovi). Survival narratives may represent an underutilised opportunity for suicide prevention and warrant further study and should be integrated into responsible media reporting guidelines.

Interventions at frequently used suicide locations that restrict access to means, encourage help-seeking, and increase the likelihood of intervention by a third party are effective in preventing suicide at such sites. However, there have been concerns that such efforts may displace suicides to other sites. It is important to synthesize the evidence on suicide displacement effects.

We conducted a systematic search of Medline, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Google for eligible studies from their inception to February 20, 2025. Meta-analyses were conducted to assess the pooled effects of interventions on suicides at frequently used locations and other sites, and on overall suicides involving the same method.

Our search identified 17 studies. Meta-analyses showed a reduction in suicides at the intervention sites (pooled incidence rate ratio [IRR] 0.09, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.04–0.21) and no evidence of changes in suicides at other sites after restricting access to means was deployed alone. The pooled IRR for nearby sites (same type) was 0.99 (95% CI 0.72–1.38); for other sites (same type), it was 0.99 (95% CI 0.76–1.29); and for other sites (different/unspecified type), it was 1.19 (95% CI 0.90–1.58). There was an overall reduction in suicides involving the same method during the post-intervention period (IRR 0.77, 95% CI 0.65–0.92). Similar patterns were observed when restricting access to means was assessed alone or with other interventions.

Suicide numbers at other sites did not change after interventions such as restricting access to means were deployed at frequently used locations.

Restricting access to means by installing physical barriers has been shown to be the most effective intervention in preventing jumping suicides on bridges. However, little is known about the effectiveness of partial restriction with interventions that still allow jumping from the bridge.

This study used a quasi-experimental design. Public sites that met our inclusion criteria were identified using Google search and data on jumping suicides on Bridge A (South Korea), Bridges B and C (the United States) and Bridge D (Canada) were obtained from the relevant datasets. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were estimated using Poisson regressions comparing suicide numbers before and after the installation of physical structures at each site.

Fences with sensor wires and spinning handrails installed above existing railings on the Bridge A, and fences at each side of the entrances and the midpoint of main suspension cables on the Bridge D were associated with significant reductions in suicides (IRR 0.37, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.26 − 0.54; 0.26, 95% CI 0.09 − 0.76). Installation of bird spike on the parapet on the Bridge B, and fences at the front of seating alcoves on the Bridge C were not associated with changes in suicides (1.21, 95% CI 0.88 − 1.68; 1.49, 95% CI 0.56 − 3.98).

Partial means restriction (such as fences with sensor wires and spinning bars at the top, and partial fencing at selected points) on bridges appears to be helpful in preventing suicide. Although these interventions are unlikely to be as effective as interventions that fully secure the bridge and completely prevent jumping, they might best be thought of as temporary solutions before more complete or permanent structures are implemented.