title: Comparison of Suicidal People Who Use the Internet for Suicide-Related Reasons and Those Who Do Not.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies have shown that suicidal individuals who use the Internet for suicide-related purposes are more suicidal than nonsuicide-related users, but evidence from European countries is lacking.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We assessed differences between suicidal individuals who go online for suicide-related purposes and other suicidal individuals in Austria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 53 individuals aged between 18 and 24 years who felt suicidal in the past year and completed an anonymous online survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Individuals who went online for suicide-related purposes were more suicidal, and more depressed, compared with individuals who did not use the Internet for suicide-related purposes. There were no large differences with regard to social anxiety and perceived barriers for help-seeking between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study finds that suicidal online users are more depressed and suicidal than nonusers in a sample from Central Europe. Online interventions to combat depression and suicidality need to be strengthened to reach out to this important target population.
authors.affiliation: 1 Medical University of Vienna, Center for Public Health, Institute of Social Medicine, Suicide Research Unit, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Niederkrotenthaler
authors.affiliation: 1 Medical University of Vienna, Center for Public Health, Institute of Social Medicine, Suicide Research Unit, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haider
authors.affiliation: 1 Medical University of Vienna, Center for Public Health, Institute of Social Medicine, Suicide Research Unit, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Benedikt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Till
authors.affiliation: 2 The University of Melbourne, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mok
authors.affiliation: 2 The University of Melbourne, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pirkis
mesh_terms: D001317:Austria; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D000066505:Help-Seeking Behavior; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D000072861:Phobia, Social / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013406:Suicide, Attempted; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Austria; Internet; depression; online survey; suicidal ideation