The treatment of suicide of martial arts athletes in digital media

Abstract

Suicide is a serious public health issue that requires a deep understanding of the underlying causes and associated risk factors to advance its prevention and treatment. The general objective of this research was to investigate news related to the suicide of combat sports athletes disseminated in digital media between 2004 and 2022. To achieve the general objective, the research was divided into three specific objectives: 1) collect cases of suicide among professional combat sports athletes disseminated in non-specialized media; 2) analyze the news disseminated in specialized media in combat sports (headlines, content, and images); and 3) compare if there are differences between the cases made visible in the media present and accessible on Google with those exposed in specialized magazines. Atlas.ti software was used to organize and analyze the collected materials based on a constructionist reading. Were found 20 cases of suicide among wrestlers were found in Google News, and the appearance of women who committed suicide since 2011 was observed. The results of the analysis of specialized media showed the use of euphemistic language to present suicide and identified the trivialization of the term "suicide" when used metaphorically or figuratively. The texts showed a predominance of suicidal thoughts in athletes after a defeat, even (although to a lesser extent) in athletes who had success. Out of the 20 cases found in Google news, not all of them were mentioned in specialized journals.