First transmitted in November 2003

When he was 18, ostensibly happy Cornish teenager Simon Kelly took his own life, soon after launching a website that announced his own death. Earlier this year, in Phoenix, Arizona, 21-year-old Brandon Vedas, aka 'ripper', became the first person to kill himself online with an audience watching, signing off with the words: "I told u I was hardcore." Both youngsters were frequent visitors to suicide chat-rooms, which are becoming popular with a growing number of suicidal - and usually young - people.

Chatting to Death meets the friends and family of both Simon and Brandon, including Cary - aka 'smoke2k' - who was one of the chat-room visitors accused of encouraging Brandon to kill himself. The programme hears their stories and speaks frankly with other youngsters with suicidal tendencies, including 20-year-old Andy, who believes that he could have killed himself had he not met 23-year-old Penny, who discouraged him from taking his own life, in a suicide chat-room.

Chatting to Death poses a number of significant questions: Does talking to other suicidal people increase the likelihood that someone will kill themselves? Or can speaking to someone who shares their problems and consequently understands them stop them committing suicide? And is a person who commits suicide 100% responsible for their own death?

For support and help with any of the issues raised in the programme, follow the links on the right, or have a look at the organisations, websites and books listed on this site.

For details of the organisations given on the telephone helpline go to our online script.

Help for young people
Help for parents and families
Reading

Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of third party sites.