Hit Netflix drama 13 Reasons Why is being slammed over claims it has glamorised suicide.
The show is based on a 2007 novel of the same name. It tells the fictional story of a young girl named Hannah Baker who leaves behind thirteen audio recordings before taking her own life.
The National Suicide Research Foundation has hit out at the show saying it romanticises and over-simplifies suicide.
It's also expressing concerns about 'copycat' deaths.
Director of Research Ella Arensman says that with other TV shows in the past, there have been increases of between 81% and 175% in the following weeks.
She adds that "the death of the leading actress is being portrayed almost as an heroic act. There's a lot of attention to what, in summary, is a revenge suicide. That's in fact very rare."
In a statement, Netflix says the show 'opened up a dialogue' among parents, teens and schools about the 'intense themes'
"We knew the material covered sensitive topics, as the book did when it was published in 2007, and we worked with mental health experts to show how these issues impact teens in real and dramatic ways. We rated the series 18, added explicit warnings on the three most graphic episodes, produced an after show, Beyond the Reasons, that delves deeper into some of the tougher topics portrayed, as well as created a global website to help people find local mental health resources. We also provide parental controls."
