The Relationship Between Elderly Suicide Rates and the Internet: a Cross-National Study

Ajit Shah
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Ajit Shah: Ethnicity and Mental Health, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK, West London Mental Health NHS Trust, London, UK, ajit.shah@wlmht.nhs.uk

International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 2010, vol. 56, issue 3, 214-219

Abstract: Background: Suicide rates generally increase with age. Internet websites and chat rooms have been reported both to promote suicides and to have a positive beneficial effect on suicidal individuals. The role of the internet in elderly suicides has not been studied. Methods: The relationship between elderly suicide rates and the prevalence of internet users was examined in a cross-national study using data from the World Health Organization and the United Nations website. Results: The prevalence of internet users was significantly and positively correlated with suicide rates in both genders in the age bands 65—74 years and 75+ years. On multiple regression analysis the prevalence of internet users was independently associated with suicide rates in both genders in both age bands. Conclusion: Caution should be exercised in the attribution of a causal relationship and the direction of this relationship because of the cross-sectional and ecological study design whereby the findings are subject to ecological fallacy. However, the findings identify and support a need for further research.

Keywords: cyberspace; elderly suicides; internet; websites (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:56:y:2010:i:3:p:214-219

DOI: 10.1177/0020764009105645

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