Abstract
The general aim of this study was to review the scientific literature concerning the Internet and suicidality and to examine the different pathways by which suicidal risks and prevention efforts are facilitated through the Internet. An online literature search was conducted using the MEDLINE and Google Scholar databases. The main themes that were investigated included pathological Internet use and suicidality, pro-suicide websites, suicide pacts on the Internet, and suicide prevention via the Internet. Articles were screened based on the titles and abstracts reporting on the themes of interest. Thereafter, articles were selected based on scientific relevance of the study, and included for full text assessment. The results illustrated that specific Internet pathways increased the risk for suicidal behaviours, particularly in adolescents and young people. Several studies found significant correlations between pathological Internet use and suicidal ideation and non-suicidal self-injury. Pro-suicide websites and online suicide pacts were observed as high-risk factors for facilitating suicidal behaviours, particularly among isolated and susceptible individuals. Conversely, the evidence also showed that the Internet could be an effective tool for suicide prevention, especially for socially-isolated and vulnerable individuals, who might otherwise be unreachable. It is this paradox that accentuates the need for further research in this field.
Highlights
Suicidal behaviour is a compelling public health issue, among adolescents and young adults
The main identifier used in the search was Internet combined with co-identifiers: suicide or suicide attempt or suicidal thoughts or suicidal ideation or suicidal behaviour or suicide pacts or pro-suicide or pathological use or addiction or mental health or prevention or intervention
The results showed that the Google search volumes correlated with both suicide and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI); differed among age-groups [55]
Summary
Suicidal behaviour is a compelling public health issue, among adolescents and young adults. In Europe, it represents the second leading cause of mortality in the 10–24 year age-group [1], and among youths aged 15–29 years, the prevalence of suicide in the European region is approximately. Completed suicides among male youths account for over 66% of all suicide cases; whereas, female youths account for over 66% of all suicide attempts [3]. Research shows that for every completed suicide, there are approximately 10–40 suicide attempts [4], with some estimates reporting rates up to 100–200 times higher [5]. There is evidence showing an overall standardized prevalence of 10.5% for suicide attempts among adolescents aged 15–16 years in Europe, with large variations between countries, ranging from 4.1% to 23.5% [6]. In addition to suicide and suicide attempts suicidal ideation (SI) and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) levels appear to be elevated
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