Fake Hangman’s Noose on ‘The Office’ Draws Criticism from Suicide Prevention Groups AP

A scene from a recent episode of "The Office" where Steve Carell's character tries to scare young children by struggling in a hangman's noose in the company’s haunted house has come in for criticism from some suicide prevention groups, the Associated Press reports.

"We try not to be zealots about this," said Robert Gebbia, executive director of The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. "But this one ... kind of crossed the line."

The foundation and other mental health groups worry that the depiction might encourage some who are mentally ill to commit suicide. NBC had no immediate comment.

--Elizabeth Jensen