Suicide remains one of the most challenging public health issues globally, claiming over 700,000 lives annually, according to the World Health Organization. In Spain, it stands as the foremost cause of death within the category of non-natural causes, outpacing fatalities from traffic accidents. Disturbingly, these numbers have surged to unprecedented levels in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. The year 2022 alone witnessed 4,227 suicides in Spain, predominantly involving men, accounting for approximately 74% of these deaths. This equates to an average of nearly twelve individuals taking their own lives each day, underscoring the urgent need for a comprehensive understanding and proactive intervention.
Historically, suicide has been enveloped in societal stigma and taboo, often leading to silence in public discourse. This silence has extended not only to the individuals who die by suicide but also to their surviving families, who frequently grapple with an overwhelming sense of guilt and shame in addition to their grief. However, a notable shift in discourse is emerging. Recent research conducted by Marta Coll-Florit, PhD, from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), reveals that the discussion of suicide in the press has begun transforming. Where once media outlets avoided mentioning suicide to prevent imitation, present-day journalism increasingly approaches the topic openly to dismantle stigma and foster awareness.
Central to Dr. Coll-Florit’s research is the exploration of metaphors used in media narratives surrounding suicide. Published in the forthcoming 2026 open access article “Suicide Metaphors in the Press: Breaking the Taboo” in the journal Metaphor and Symbol, her study meticulously analyzes the language of three major Spanish newspapers—El País, La Vanguardia, and ABC—over the period from 2020 to 2023. Employing corpus linguistic methodologies, the research identified 509 metaphoric expressions embedded within 243 news pieces, illuminating how these linguistic devices shape public perception of suicide.
The research unveils that the political orientation of newspapers does not significantly influence the metaphoric framing of suicide, indicating a broader cultural approach transcending ideological divisions. Among the metaphors, the most pervasive liken suicide to war—a fierce enemy to be confronted and combated. Concurrently, associations with illness permeate reporting, with terms such as “epidemic,” “pandemic,” and “contagion” reflecting lingering influences from the Covid-19 crisis. Additional metaphors depict suicide as a journey, a clandestine crime, or a concealed object, each framing the phenomenon through distinct cognitive lenses.
These metaphors serve critical cognitive functions. Far from ornamental, they reveal underlying representations of suicide in societal consciousness. The war metaphor, for instance, personifies the taboo as a formidable adversary to overcome, promoting the idea that breaking silence on suicide is a necessary battle for societal liberation. Similarly, viewing suicide as an illness underscores prevention and healing through interventions, while journey metaphors encourage conceptualizing suicide as a pathway navigable with support. By framing the silence surrounding suicide as an active yet suppressed entity, media discourse contributes to the argument that openly discussing suicide is both cathartic and a public health imperative.
However, the study highlights that not all metaphoric constructions support a progressive narrative. Some metaphors depict suicide solely as an act of individual failure, likening it to self-directed homicide or illicit behavior. Such representations emphasize personal choice without acknowledging social or systemic factors, which inadvertently promotes stigma. Portrayals laden with connotations of cowardice, selfishness, or weakness exacerbate victim shaming and burden survivors with debilitating guilt. This individualistic framing contrasts starkly with metaphors invoking collective responsibility.
Fortunately, the majority of metaphoric language veers towards a communal understanding of suicide. Researchers argue that framing suicide as a collective challenge or a shared journey for prevention shifts discourse away from blame on individuals, instead emphasizing societal roles in mental health support and intervention. This perspective aligns with a growing consensus in mental health disciplines that recognize suicide prevention as a multifaceted issue requiring coordinated public health strategies, social services, and empathetic journalism.
Dr. Coll-Florit’s expertise extends beyond suicide, encompassing conceptual metaphor analysis in mental health contexts including depression and schizophrenia. Previously, she spearheaded the development of the Mental Health Metaphor Dictionary, a tool designed to foster public understanding by decoding complex emotional and psychological phenomena through accessible language. The current research on suicide metaphors is a logical extension of this work, underscoring how linguistic framing can facilitate or hinder public discourse and policy.
The implications of this research are profound for media professionals, mental health practitioners, policymakers, and the public at large. Shifting the discourse from individual blame to collective responsibility can enable more effective prevention strategies and reduce the stigma that often impedes individuals from seeking help. Journalism holds a critical role in this transformation by responsibly contextualizing suicide, incorporating expert insights, and emphasizing that suicide is preventable with appropriate intervention and resources.
In conclusion, suicide is not merely an individual tragedy but a complex public health challenge demanding societal commitment and nuanced understanding. The metaphors we use matter—they shape attitudes, inform policies, and ultimately influence lives. Breaking the taboo through a metaphoric paradigm that embraces collective empathy and shared responsibility can propel the global fight against suicide and foster a culture of support, hope, and healing.
Subject of Research: Not applicable
Article Title: Suicide Metaphors in the Press: Breaking the Taboo
News Publication Date: 26-Apr-2026
Web References:
- DOI: 10.1080/10926488.2025.2580642
- World Health Organization Fact Sheet on Suicide: https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/suicide
- Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC): https://www.uoc.edu/en
References:
Coll-Florit, M. (2026). Suicide Metaphors in the Press: Breaking the Taboo. Metaphor and Symbol, 41(2), 175–191.
Keywords: Suicide; Sociolinguistics; Psycholinguistics; Semantics; Human behavior; Mass media; Social sciences
