title: Social media and suicide prevention: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Social media platforms are commonly used for the expression of suicidal thoughts and feelings, particularly by young people. Despite this, little is known about the ways in which social media can be used for suicide prevention. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review to identify current evidence pertaining to the ways in which social media are currently used as a tool for suicide prevention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medline, PsycInfo, Embase, CINHAL and the Cochrane Library were searched for articles published between 1991 and April 2014. English language articles with a focus on suicide-related behaviour and social media were included. No exclusion was placed on study design.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty studies were included; 4 described the development of social media sites designed for suicide prevention, 6 examined the potential of social media in terms of its ability to reach or identify people at risk of suicide, 15 examined the ways in which people used social media for suicide prevention-related purposes, and 5 examined the experiences of people who had used social media sites for suicide prevention purposes. No intervention studies were identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Social media platforms can reach large numbers of otherwise hard-to-engage individuals, may allow others to intervene following an expression of suicidal ideation online, and provide an anonymous, accessible and non-judgmental forum for sharing experiences. Challenges include difficulties controlling user behaviour and accurately assessing risk, issues relating to privacy and confidentiality and the possibility of contagion. Social media appears to hold significant potential for suicide prevention; however, additional research into its safety and efficacy is required.
authors.affiliation: Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Georgina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.affiliation: Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Eleanor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.affiliation: Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2532-0142
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hetrick
authors.affiliation: Community Works Associates Pty Ltd, Docklands, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Community Works Associates Pty Ltd, Docklands, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.affiliation: Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Herrman
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D061108:Social Media; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
keywords: review; social media; suicide