Google Searches and Suicide Rates in Spain, 2004-2013: Correlation Study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Digital Health

Background:

• Web search data is increasingly recognized for forecasting diverse phenomena, including health trends.
• Previous research indicates a link between online search behavior and public health issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the correlation between Spanish suicide rates and Google Trends (GT) data for 57 suicide-related search terms.
• To analyze gender-specific differences in the association between suicide rates and internet search trends.

Main Methods:

• Utilized suicide data from Spain's National Statistics Institute (INE) and Google Trends (GT) data from 2004-2013.
• Investigated 57 pre-validated suicide-related search terms for their predictive value.
• Employed cross-correlation analysis and linear regression to evaluate nowcasting effects.

Main Results:

• Positive correlations (r<-0.2) were found between general suicide rates and 7 search terms, with one negative correlation.
• The search term "allergy" showed a significant lead effect for new suicide cases (r=0.513, P=.001).
• Significant gender differences were observed, with search terms aligning with higher depression incidence in women.

Conclusions:

• Understanding gender-specific internet search behavior related to suicide is crucial.
• Insights from search data can aid in developing targeted suicide prevention programs.
• Big data sources, including search engine data, offer valuable tools for public health initiatives.