Social media and suicide in social movements: a case study in Hong Kong

Abstract

Research has indicated that excessive and sensationalized suicide reporting can lead to copycat suicides, especially when deaths involve well-known people. Little is known, however, about the impact of the reporting of suspected protestor suicide deaths during social unrest, particularly in an age of social media. In June 2019, the most substantial social unrest in Hong Kong since its handover in 1997 was triggered by the proposed Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill (Anti-ELAB). The social unrest subsided when Hong Kong and many parts of the world were hit by Covid-19 and very strict quarantine measures were imposed on crowd gatherings in Hong Kong at the end of January 2020. A number of reported suicides and deaths of undetermined cause took place during this 8-month period that received considerable attention. To better understand the possible effects of these highly publicized deaths, we examined media reports of suspected suicide cases before, during and after the protest period, as well as topics of suicide-related threads and their replies in social media forums. We found no clear evidence of increased rates of suicide as a result of these incidents, or during the protest period; however, it is suggested that certain narratives and attention surrounding the suspected suicides and undetermined deaths may have contributed to collective emotions such as sadness and anxiety. Some implications for misinformation (intentionally or un-intentionally) and mitigation of suicide risk during social unrest are discussed.

Prevalence and correlates of suicidal behaviours in a representative epidemiological youth sample in Hong Kong: the significance of suicide-related rumination, family functioning, and ongoing population-level stressors

“…Notably, during the period of social unrest and COVID-19, the disruptions to interpersonal relationships, education, and employment could have added to the cognitive load of young people. Suicide and ‘self-sacrifice’ were indeed common sentiments among young people on online platforms at the time (Yip & Pinkney, 2022 ). Young people with fewer cognitive resources (as reflected in general intellectual levels) could possibly be more susceptible to such influences (Bittár, Falkstedt, & Wallin, 2020 ).…”

Impact of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Coronavirus Disease 2019, and Social Unrest on Adult Psychiatric Admissions in Hong Kong

“…Other sociodemographic and clinical correlates such as being male (Moss et al, 2014), diagnosis of schizophrenia (Lin et al, 2010), previous hospitalization (Zhang et al, 2011), and poverty (Gbiri et al, 2011) could significantly relate to a higher readmission rate. Besides, the discontinuation of medication supply (Aung et al, 2021) and increased suicidal risk during social unrest (Ni et al, 2020b; Yip and Pinkney, 2022) may be other specific factors leading to psychiatric hospitalization.…”