B Schneider1, J Fritze, K Georgi, K Grebner. 1. Zentrum der Psychiatrie, Klinik für Psychiatrie, Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie, Goethe-Universität, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Straße 10, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland. B.Schneider@em.uni-frankfurt.de
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Suicidality is an important issue for substance-dependent people. The few studies about Internet searches have provided ambiguous results regarding help and support using suicide-related terms. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five popular search engines and several substance use- and suicide-related German search terms were used; the search results were classified as being pro-suicide, anti-suicide, suicide-neutral, websites not associated with suicide or "page could not be loaded". RESULTS: The majority of identified websites was not associated with suicide at all, whereas websites offering help and support were less frequent. Using suicide-associated search terms (such as "Selbsttötung") almost half of all web pages were help sites. Websites with instructions for committing suicide were very rarely found. CONCLUSIONS: In view of the difficulties for substance abusers to get immediate and adequate information about help and support in a suicidal crisis via the Internet, it is urgently necessary to extend fast available help sites on the Internet.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Suicidality is an important issue for substance-dependent people. The few studies about Internet searches have provided ambiguous results regarding help and support using suicide-related terms. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five popular search engines and several substance use- and suicide-related German search terms were used; the search results were classified as being pro-suicide, anti-suicide, suicide-neutral, websites not associated with suicide or "page could not be loaded". RESULTS: The majority of identified websites was not associated with suicide at all, whereas websites offering help and support were less frequent. Using suicide-associated search terms (such as "Selbsttötung") almost half of all web pages were help sites. Websites with instructions for committing suicide were very rarely found. CONCLUSIONS: In view of the difficulties for substance abusers to get immediate and adequate information about help and support in a suicidal crisis via the Internet, it is urgently necessary to extend fast available help sites on the Internet.