Today we have been working with our charity partners Mind and Rethink Mental Illness to speak out about the irresponsible coverage seen in many of today's newspapers regarding the tragic suicide of Robin Williams.

Sue Baker, Director of Time to Change said;

The tragic loss of Robin Williams yesterday reminded us that anyone, anywhere can be affected by mental health problems, no matter what walk of life they come from. As more details emerged last night we hoped the media would spare unnecessary graphic details from their reports.

Unfortunately this didn’t happen. We were disappointed to see the front pages of many tabloid newspapers this morning that included explicit information. What’s more, it certainly did not adhere to guidelines on reporting suicide and self-harm.

There is evidence that shows reporting on suicide, particularly with graphic details, can lead to copycat acts and serve as a trigger for those contemplating taking their own life.

We have seen some outlets handle the story sensitively and they should be commended. We would encourage all media outlets to use our guidelines or those of the Samaritans.

For media outlets that are unsure of what to say and whether they’re saying the right thing, we have a media advisory service that can give advice to journalists about whether their content is appropriate to use.

Mind comments on the reporting of the death of Robin Williams