Beneficial and harmful effects of educative suicide prevention websites: randomised controlled trial exploring Papageno v. Werther effects

Abstract

BackgroundSuicide prevention organisations frequently use websites to educate the public, but evaluations of these websites are lacking.AimsTo examine the effects of educative websites and the moderating effect of participant vulnerability.MethodA total of 161 adults were randomised to either view an educative website on suicide prevention or an unrelated website in a single-blinded randomised controlled trial (trial registration with the American Economic Association's registry: RCT-ID: 000924). The primary outcome was suicidal ideation; secondary outcomes were mood, suicide-prevention-related knowledge and attitudes towards suicide/seeking professional help. Data were collected using questionnaires before (T1), immediately after exposure (T2), and 1 week after exposure (T3) and analysed using linear mixed models.ResultsNo significant intervention effect was identified for the entire intervention group with regard to suicidal ideation, but a significant and sustained increase in suicide-prevention-related knowledge (T3v. T1P< 0.001, d = 1.12, 95% CI 0.96 to 1.28) and a non-sustained worsening of mood (P< 0.001, T2v. T1, d = −0.59, −0.75 to −0.43) were observed. Participants with increased vulnerability experienced a partially sustained reduction of suicidal ideation (T3v. T1, P<0.001, d = −0.34, −0.50 to −0.19).ConclusionsEducative professional suicide prevention websites appeared to increase suicide-prevention-related knowledge, and among vulnerable individuals website exposure may be associated with a reduction of suicidal ideation.

The quality of online media reporting of celebrity suicide in India and its association with subsequent online suicide-related search behaviour among general population: An infodemiology study

“…Thus, researchers have advocated for a more responsible descriptive reporting of suicide news, with emphasis on sharing preventive information related to suicide. This includes reporting upon how people could adopt alternative coping strategies to deal with life stresses or depressed mood along with sharing links of educative websites or suicide helplines; and has been shown to be associated with decreased suicide suicidal behaviour and ideation in vulnerable population ( Niederkrotenthaler et al, 2010 ; Till et al, 2017 ). Therefore, media reporting of suicide-related preventive information has been associated with positive effects on subsequent suicide rates and ideation.…”

Development and Evaluation of a Web-Based Resource for Suicidal Thoughts: NowMattersNow.org

“…Providers need access to suicide-specific resources that can be used as part of immediate, brief interventions with a suicidal patient. Web-based suicide-prevention resources are available around the clock and have the potential to address several major challenges to caring for suicidal patients [9,10]. Web-based services can assist providers as they are providing care by giving them a free resource to share, support suicidal patients during the time between identification and receipt of specialty mental health care, and serve as an adjunct intervention for suicidal patients who are not able to access specialty metal health care or prefer not to receive this type of care (eg, males).…”

Emerging trends in suicide prevention research

“…While earlier studies surprisingly reported that articles including interviews with suicide experts can lead to imitational suicides [33], new evidence supports the claim that this effect might be due to such articles often also including sensationalist content. Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) found that stand-alone information about suicide prevention on websites and in newspapers had beneficial effects in terms of a reduction of suicidal ideation and an increase in suicide-prevention related knowledge [35,36]. These findings particularly applied to materials that featured experts and lay individuals speaking about personal stories of how to cope with suicidality.…”