Bojanić Lana, Hunt Isabelle M, Ibrahim Saied, Turnbull Pauline, Flynn Sandra
University of Manchester, 2nd Floor Jean McFarlane Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, England, M13 9PL, United Kingdom, +44 01612750709.
JMIR Ment Health. 2025 Sep 5;12:e73702. doi: 10.2196/73702.
Suicide-related internet use encompasses various web-based behaviors, including searching for suicide methods, sharing suicidal thoughts, and seeking help. Research suggests that suicide-related internet use is prevalent among people experiencing suicidality, but its characteristics among mental health patients remain underexplored.
This study aimed to examine the sociodemographic, clinical, and suicidality-related characteristics of suicidal mental health patients who engage in suicide-related internet use compared with those who do not.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted from June to December 2023, recruiting participants aged 18 years and older with recent contact with secondary mental health services in the United Kingdom. The survey assessed sociodemographic characteristics, psychiatric diagnoses, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and engagement in suicide-related internet use. Statistical analyses included chi-square tests, Wilcoxon tests, and multivariable logistic regression to identify predictors of engaging in suicide-related internet use.
Of 696 participants, 75% (522) engaged in suicide-related internet use in the past 12 months. Those who engaged in suicide-related internet use were almost 3 times as likely to have attempted suicide in the past year (32.5% vs 9.2%, P<.001). They were more likely to have a diagnosis of personality disorder (34.4% vs 18.5%, P<.001) and to disclose suicidal thoughts to someone (87.8% vs 72.8%, P<.001). They also reported higher levels of suicidal ideation intensity (median =6.6 vs 5.1, P<.001). There were no significant sociodemographic differences between groups, including age.
The findings suggest that suicide-related internet use is a common behavior among suicidal mental health patients across various age groups, challenging the notion that it is primarily a concern for younger populations. The association between suicide-related internet use and increased suicidality highlights the need for clinicians to incorporate discussions about web-based behaviors in suicide risk assessments. Given the high rate of disclosure of suicidal thoughts among suicide-related internet users, clinicians may have an opportunity to engage in open, nonjudgmental discussions about their patients' internet use.
与自杀相关的网络使用涵盖各种基于网络的行为，包括搜索自杀方法、分享自杀想法以及寻求帮助。研究表明，与自杀相关的网络使用在有自杀倾向的人群中很普遍，但在心理健康患者中的特征仍未得到充分探索。
本研究旨在比较有自杀倾向且有与自杀相关网络使用行为的心理健康患者与无此类行为的患者在社会人口统计学、临床及自杀倾向相关特征方面的差异。
于2023年6月至12月进行了一项横断面调查，招募年龄在18岁及以上且近期与英国二级心理健康服务机构有过接触的参与者。该调查评估了社会人口统计学特征、精神疾病诊断、自杀想法和行为以及与自杀相关的网络使用情况。统计分析包括卡方检验、威尔科克森检验和多变量逻辑回归，以确定与自杀相关网络使用的预测因素。
在696名参与者中，75%（522人）在过去12个月中有与自杀相关的网络使用行为。在过去一年中，有与自杀相关网络使用行为的人尝试自杀的可能性几乎是其他人的3倍（32.5%对9.2%，P<0.001）。他们更有可能被诊断为患有精神人格障碍（34.4%对18.5%，P<0.001），并且更有可能向他人透露自杀想法（87.8%对72.8%，P<0.001）。他们还报告了更高水平的自杀意念强度（中位数=6.6对5.1，P<0.001）。两组之间在包括年龄在内的社会人口统计学方面没有显著差异。
研究结果表明，与自杀相关的网络使用是各年龄组有自杀倾向的心理健康患者中的常见行为，这对认为该行为主要是年轻人群体问题的观念提出了挑战。与自杀相关的网络使用与自杀倾向增加之间的关联凸显了临床医生在自杀风险评估中纳入关于网络行为讨论的必要性。鉴于与自杀相关的网络使用者中透露自杀想法的比例很高，临床医生可能有机会就患者的网络使用情况进行开放、无偏见的讨论。
