How and why do the suicidal go online? We need more research

The internet creates new challenges for suicide prevention – but also new opportunities for reaching vulnerable people
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Reports of people meeting online to form suicide pacts, or being ignored after expressing suicidal feelings on social networking sites, have recently made media headlines. So-called pro-suicide websites are portrayed in the media as dark and sinister spaces where suicide is promoted and vulnerable people coerced. While in some cases this is a reality, and the risks should never be downplayed, we need to recognise that people who are drawn to suicide websites and forums are often just looking for an outlet to express their feelings of distress and despair.

Samaritans has been providing confidential, emotional support for nearly 60 years. As the internet is becoming ever more entwined in our daily lives – with 30 million people in the UK now on Facebook and 60% of adults using the internet daily – the challenge now is how we reach out to them in a safe and supportive way.

The online environment creates new risks and challenges for suicide prevention, but also new opportunities to reach vulnerable people. A distressed person can, for example, meet another distressed person in an unmediated online forum and they can end up reinforcing each other's suicidal feelings – a situation less likely to happen offline.

Discussions about suicidal feelings are common on these forums, and there is a risk that suicide may become normalised and as a result people who access them are more likely to consider it an option. Vulnerable people who access such online discussions could potentially be at higher risk of suicide than they otherwise would have been – not only because of the availability of detailed information about suicide methods but also because of the spread of information about new or rarely used methods. Even more sinister are the few malicious individuals who seem to target vulnerable people and deliberately propagate detailed information about suicide methods.

But is the internet wholly a bad thing for people who are feeling suicidal?

The internet can create new possibilities for reaching distressed people. What some people are seeking when they use online suicide forums is not just support, but also a safe space where they can find solace and understanding. In a society where suicide is still a taboo subject, people need anonymity to feel comfortable disclosing their feelings. Forums and websites that allow users to discuss their problems with one another could act as valuable emotional support networks if the host sites provide safe, moderated environments. Some have strict rules that prohibit their users from encouraging or normalising suicide, blocking anyone who shares tips on how to self-harm or provides links to pro-suicide or self-harm websites.

While powers already exist to prosecute individuals who act maliciously to assist or encourage suicide online, Samaritans questions whether there is a common understanding of the role of so-called pro-suicide websites, and the wisdom of a blanket ban. Are sites that publish information on suicide methods or host chat forums "pro-suicide" and should we consider banning them? Or would doing so preclude those who access them purely as a support mechanism? A total ban would also be a major challenge to enforce, as many suicide-related websites are hosted abroad and are legal in other countries.

Samaritans believes the first step is to find out how and why people end up in these online spaces, and how a positive alternative can be made appealing. While there is substantial research exploring the role of the media in suicide, highlighting issues such as copycat suicides, research into the internet and suicide is extremely limited. We still remain largely unaware of how people with suicidal thoughts use the internet, and what is helpful and what is destructive in these online spaces.

That is why we are calling for the research community to help us study the issue of suicide and the online environment. With this information we will know not only how to manage the risks the internet poses but also how to better harness the power of the internet to help distressed people.

Samaritans is already looking at ways in which the internet and new technology can be used to reduce suicide. We teamed up with Google to create the Google 'OneBox', publicising our helpline number when anyone searches for the word suicide or any related vocabulary. Now we have launched a scheme that encourages people to look out for each other, and allows Facebook's users in the UK to get support from Samaritans for a friend they believe could be suicidal.

While we hope these initiatives are steps in the right direction, until we have credible research into suicide and the online environment we won't be able to fully grasp the complexities of the challenge we are facing. But irrespective of whether the internet acts as a corruptive or constructive force – or more likely a combination of the two – it is surely a common goal to ensure vulnerable people going online for support are not overlooked.

• For people experiencing emotional distress and struggling to cope, Samaritans volunteers are there 24/7 to offer confidential, nonjudgmental support to anyone feeling down, unhappy, anxious or stressed, by phone: 08457 90 90 90 (UK) or 1850 60 90 90 (ROI); email:; or face-to-face. Visit for details of your local branch.

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