As we pass the halfway mark of 2017 and get closer to 2018 every day, we also get closer to the release of season two of “13 Reasons Why”. The Netflix Original show, released in March, has been under heat after numerous reports of “copycat” suicides were released.

However, no official links have been made between these suicides and the television show.

The show, based on the 2007 novel of the same name by Jay Asher, covers the story of 16-year-old Hannah Baker and her suicide. We get insight into why she committed suicide through cassette tapes left for all of the people that affected her life. The show has a TV-MA rating in the US, according to the MPAA.

It also states trigger warnings very clearly, addressing that the show covers topics such as depression, suicide, rape and violence.

The point of the show is to open up the conversation around mental illness and suicide in hopes of decreasing teen suicide rates. Mental illness goes much deeper than a television show, and any claims that “13 Reasons Why” caused these suicides is simply untrue.

Suicide is a personal choice affected by outside factors, and while watching the television show may have had some influence on the people committing suicide, it was not the sole factor.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the second most common cause of death for people between ages 15-24 in 2015 was suicide.

Additionally, the rate of suicides in the US has been increasing since 1999.

So what can we do to change this?

We open up the conversation.

We look out for warning signs in friends and family.

We offer resources to anyone and everyone.

We destigmatize mental illness. And it starts with shows and books like “13 Reasons Why”.

If you or anyone you know is struggling, you are not alone.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1-800-273-8255