Understanding the Communicative Ecology and Impact of Social Media following a Suspected Suicide

Bell, Jo; Westoby, Chris

Abstract

Background: The proliferation of social media platforms in recent years has expanded and complicated the communicative ecology of suicide-related internet use. There is a wide gap in the literature when it comes to a deeper understanding of the issues and impact of this phenomenon, and no research from the perspective of preventive public health and mental health.

Aim: To understand the communicative ecology and impact of social media following a suspected suicide from the perspective of mental health and public health professionals

Methods: In-depth interviews with a purposive sample of mental health and public health professionals working in services responding in the immediate aftermath of a suicide. We explored participants’ experiences and understanding of digitally mediated communication about a suspected suicide including: social media (how different platforms operate, how users behave in these spaces, the context within which it is used); their perceptions of the impact of this on others in the community; the challenges and opportunities for intervention and prevention. We conducted a thematic and narrative analysis from the topics of discussion.

Results: Analysis highlighted examples of: significant shifts in the way social media operates (including new interactive features) and shifts in how users consume it; the apparent ease of mass exposure to very explicit content in real-time (regardless of whether or not a user searches for it) and the apparent ease with which users can be producers and purveyors of suicide stories; the negative impact of widespread visibility of suicide stories and the toxic dialogue generated around it.

Examples of positive intervention were identified in the pro-active targeted spread of Papageno-related content online. Challenges for prevention included: how algorithms shape the spread of information; the speed with which information spreads; social media’s connection to a collective reduction in attention span of media consumers and whether this is linked to users’ capacity to think before they post.

Conclusion: Our data provided new insights from professionals in public and mental health organisations working to monitor and regulate social media activity to mitigate harmful effects in the immediate aftermath of a suicide, and some of the challenges this presents for prevention. These insights reinforce the potential for media content to prevent suicide but also raise further questions about the efficacy of existing media guidelines in a digital age. The role of social media in suicide prevention needs a more prominent role in public and mental health policy and strategy.

Citation

Bell, J., & Westoby, C. (2023, September). Understanding the Communicative Ecology and Impact of Social Media following a Suspected Suicide. Presented at International Association for Suicide Prevention 32nd World Congress, Piran, Slovenia

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Abstract
• Conference Name: International Association for Suicide Prevention 32nd World Congress
• Start Date: Sep 19, 2023
• End Date: Sep 23, 2023
• Acceptance Date: Apr 14, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Sep 19, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023
• Deposit Date: Oct 31, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 25, 2024
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Book Title: IASP 32nd World Congress: Abstract Book
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4429484
• Publisher URL: https://www.iasp.info/piran2023/