Online Forums can Help or Hurt Depressed Youth

A recent study shows that spending too much time on the Internet could cause depression in some individuals and even suicidal thoughts.

Researchers analyzed the conclusions of 14 previous studies conducted via similar topics that showed contradicting findings regarding the Internet's influence. For instance, they found that while Internet forums provided a support network for those who may have felt socially isolated, this also increased the risk of suicide and self-harm among some vulnerable adolescents.

The Internet can be a great tool to provide depressed individuals with information on where to get the right care. Seeking out support through social forums may also help. However, some individuals can also look up information regarding self-harm, and unfortunately, those exposed to terrifying images via the web may be more compelled to act out what they see online.

Background information from the study shows that moderate or severe addiction to the Internet is also connected to an increased risk of self-harm, as well as increased levels of suicidal thoughts. These thoughts tended to be higher among individuals using Internet forums than those using social networking sites. It also seemed to affect younger people.

Results from the study showed that 59 percent of people interviewed admitted to researching suicide online. Of the 15 individuals who had carried out violent acts of self-harm, 80 percent admitted to having checked out ways to harm themselves beforehand. Another 34 individuals who self-harmed via cutting also showed that 73 percent admitted to having researched this method of self-harm online.

"We are not saying that all young people who go on the Internet increase their risk of suicide or self-harm," senior co-author Professor Paul Montgomery, from the Centre for Evidence-Based Intervention at the University of Oxford said, via a press release. "We are talking about vulnerable young people who are going online specifically to find out more about harming themselves or because they are considering suicide already. The question is whether the online content triggers a response so that they self-harm or take their own lives and we have found that there is a link."

More informationr regarding the study can be found via the journal PLOS One.