The effectiveness of Mental Health Review Tribunals in providing safeguards for patients to ensure their right to be free from unjustified detention or treatment has been subject to much criticism in the literature. This article systematically reviews studies on the decision-making of such tribunals in order to synthesize the literature thematically and subject it to an assessment of methodological rigour [Hawker, S., Payne, S., Kerr, C., Hardey, M., & Powell, J. (2002). Appraising the evidence: reviewing disparate data systematically. Qualitative Health Research, 12(9), 1284]. Of the 7,845 citations initially identified, 50 papers met the inclusion criteria. Although most studies were found to have “satisfactory” methodological rigour, our assessment revealed some issues related to ethics and bias, sampling procedures, and data collection and analysis processes. Eleven prevailing themes were identified that largely relate to the shortfalls of current tribunal systems. Suggested areas for practical improvement and further research were also given. The article concludes by suggesting how future studies could be developed to cover areas in need of further research and with greater methodological rigour.

Media reporting can impact negatively or positively on suicidal behaviour. Specific reporting methods such as the use of sensationalism can influence suicidal behaviour. This paper presents the findings from a study that aimed to provide an in-depth examination of New Zealand mainstream news items in which websites played a role in suicide. We used framing analysis to interpret the role online technology plays in the reporting of the suicide event. The findings indicate that news items were primarily framed in such a way so that the role of online technology was often overemphasised at the expense of the suicide events themselves. While websites were characteristically framed as ‘enablers’ or ‘preventers’ of suicide, the contribution of mental wellbeing to suicide was largely marginalised in the news media reports. The paper concludes by considering the implications of these framings for existing media studies of suicide and the media’s role in suicide prevention.