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Exploring Behavior of People with Suicidal Ideation in a Chinese Online Suicidal Community

Author

Listed:
  • Zheng Wang

    (School of Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China)

  • Guang Yu

    (School of Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China)

  • Xianyun Tian

    (School of Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China)

Abstract

People with suicidal ideation (PSI) are increasingly using social media to express suicidal feelings. Researchers have found that their internet-based communication may lead to the spread of suicidal ideation, which presents a set of challenges for suicide prevention. To develop effective prevention and intervention strategies that can be efficiently applied in online communities, we need to understand the behavior of PSI in internet-based communities. However, to date there have been no studies that specifically focus on the behavior of PSI in Chinese online communities. A total of 4489 postings in which users explicitly expressed their suicidal ideation were labeled from 560,000 postings in an internet-based suicidal community on Weibo (one of the biggest social media platforms in China) to explore their behavior. The results reveal that PSI are significantly more active than other users in the community. With the use of social network analysis, we also found that the more frequently users communicate with PSI, the more likely that users would become suicidal. In addition, Chinese women may be more likely to be at risk of suicide than men in the community. This study enriches our knowledge of PSI’s behavior in online communities, which may contribute to detecting and assisting PSI on social media.

Suggested Citation

  • Zheng Wang & Guang Yu & Xianyun Tian, 2018. "Exploring Behavior of People with Suicidal Ideation in a Chinese Online Suicidal Community," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2018:i:1:p:54-:d:193303
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Qijin Cheng & Chi Leung Kwok & Tingshao Zhu & Li Guan & Paul S. F. Yip, 2015. "Suicide Communication on Social Media and Its Psychological Mechanisms: An Examination of Chinese Microblog Users," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-22, September.
    2. Luxton, D.D. & June, J.D. & Fairall, J.M., 2012. "Social media and suicide: A public health perspective," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 102(S2), pages 195-200.
    3. Pirkis, Jane E. & Burgess, Philip M. & Francis, Catherine & Blood, R. Warwick & Jolley, Damien J., 2006. "The relationship between media reporting of suicide and actual suicide in Australia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(11), pages 2874-2886, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Francisco José Eiroa-Orosa, 2020. "Understanding Psychosocial Wellbeing in the Context of Complex and Multidimensional Problems," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-8, August.
    2. Jingyun Tang & Guang Yu & Xiaoxu Yao, 2020. "A Comparative Study of Online Depression Communities in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-13, July.

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