Is A Person Thinking About Suicide Likely to Find Help on the Internet? An Evaluation of Google Search Results.
It is unclear whether individuals searching the Internet for assistance with thoughts of suicide are likely to encounter predominantly helpful or harmful resources. This study investigated websites retrieved by searching Google for information and support for suicidal thoughts. Google searches retrieved a high percentage of irrelevant websites (26%, n = 136). Of the 329 relevant websites retrieved, the majority were suicide preventive (68%); however, a considerable proportion of sites expressed mixed (22%) or neutral (8%) suicide attitudes, and 1% were explicitly pro-suicide. The results highlight a need for suicide prevention organization websites to be made more easily accessible. In the meantime, clinicians should be aware of appropriate websites to recommend to clients.
National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Louise
L
Thornton
National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.|Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Tonelle
T
Handley
National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.|Priority Research Centre for Brain and Mental Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Frances
F
Kay-Lambkin
School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Amanda
A
Baker
D001290:Attitude; D000066505:Help-Seeking Behavior; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D020380:Needs Assessment; D012944:Social Support; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D000092864:Suicide Prevention