Internet related suicide

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Suicide
and the
Internet
Paul Kelly Trustee PAPYRUS (prevention of young
suicide)
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Background

• There are no official statistics of internet
  related suicide
• Unofficial data is collected from media reports
  and personal contacts
• Danger of exaggeration - but each death is a
  tragedy that may have been avoidable.
• We can make a difference by raising awareness of
  the problem and increasing the regulatory
  framework.

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The Internet can be characterised by

• Immediacy. Never before have facts, ideas and
  visual stimuli been available to us all within a
  matter of seconds.
• Adolescents can make sudden spontaneous decisions
  based on immediate stimuli.

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The Internet can be characterised by
Anonymity- can be the cloak for offensive,
harmful and illegal content.
Online advice about suicide ranges from
--responsible organisations, the caring and
sympathetic, neutral dissemination of
information to outright predators.
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Extract from Discussion in ASH chatroom
If you feel the need to be open and honest with
others, thats one of the roles we as fellow
ASHers can play.  We are here to listen and
advise.   You DON'T need to be open and honest
with your therapist about the specifics of your
plan unless you want that plan to go awry.   They
have a legal obligation to report you if you give
them the details of your ctb.  If you had opened
up and trusted only us and left your
therapist/nurse out of the loop you would have
already caught that bus that you so badly want to
be on.   Better luck and better planning next
time!
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Extract from online chatroom
ltfalcongirlgt well if you arre ever interested in
using hanging feel free to ask me ltAAAgt YOu know
a lot about it ltfalcongirlgt just from my perosnal
experience in trying it in practice so ive now
got the noose /knot placement correct for no
discomfort and rapid unconciousness ltAAAgt where
is best? ltfalcongirlgt ok useing a simple slip
knot...knot behind left ear and rope under chin
and across the carotid is truly the best
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The Internet can be characterised by

• Content - Never before has information on suicide
  method been so easily accessible and in so much
  detail.
• Out of 240 different websites 45 judged
  to be encouraging, promoting or facilitating
  suicide. (Biddle and others - BMJ 2008)

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Example of suicide methods site

• 500 feet of 3/4 rope
• Car, with at least a 286-NP 6-banger, with good
  tires. Known for excellent reliability, pick-up.
• Case of beer, various tranquilizers.
• Do up! Load up and party!
• Tie one end of the rope securely to a huge tree.
• Make a nice hangmans noose in the other end of
  the rope.
• Get in the car, run the rope in, and buckle-up,
  because its the law!
• All buckled in nice and secure? Well, now just
  put that ol hangmans noose around your little
  neck, and pull the damn thing up tight.

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Memorial sites and online media reports of
suicide which can glorify/romanticise suicide.
From Mydeathspace.com
John Doe (20) committed suicide by swallowing
sleeping pills with anti-freeze Published Oct
31, 2006
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What Can be Done?

• Raise Awareness
• role of UKCCIS
• Greater responsibility by industry
• Monitoring by social networking sites
• Give priority to support websites in search
  engines.
• Role of Government
• Modernisation of Suicide Act

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Relevance to health professionals?

• 25 of suicides are by people who had been in
  touch with mental health services (National
  Confidential Enquiry into Suicide and Homicide by
  People with Mental Illness)
• Some of these patients may be accessing info.
  online?
• Should medical staff prepare patients for what
  they may see on the internet?
• Should carers monitor internet use by under 18
  year olds who are at risk?
• Are you aware of online support organisations?

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Support sites and organisations.

• HOPELineUK 08000 68 41 41
• http//www.lookokfeelcrap.org/.
• http//www.internetsafetyzone.co.uk/
• Samaritans email - jo_at_samaritans.org
• http//www.bigwhitewall.com/ for adults
• http//mtv.bigwhitewall.com/for young people.
• www.livinglifetothefull.com

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Thank You