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The relationship between online searches and suicide
Nicolás Acosta-González1, Francisco Gallegos1,2, Diana Mosquera1,2
1Facultad de Economía, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador.
The International Journal of Social Psychiatry
|July 25, 2024
Summary
Google search trends correlate with suicide rates in Ecuador. "Stress," "prevention," and "disorders" search terms showed the strongest links, with variations across demographics and regions.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Digital Health
Background:
- Suicide remains a significant public health concern globally.
- Understanding factors influencing suicide rates is crucial for effective prevention.
- Digital data, like Google searches, offer novel insights into population-level mental health trends.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between suicide-related Google search terms and monthly suicide cases in Ecuador.
- To identify specific search terms and demographic factors linked to suicide rates.
- To explore potential time-lagged relationships between search trends and suicide occurrences.
Main Methods:
- Time-series analysis was employed to control for autocorrelation and seasonality.
- Pearson's correlation assessed relationships between Google search trends and suicide rates.
- Cross-correlation analysis examined delayed effects, with stratification by gender, age, and region.
Main Results:
- Significant positive correlations were observed between all Google search categories and suicide rates.
- 'Stress,' 'prevention,' and 'disorders' exhibited the strongest associations.
- Higher correlations were noted in men, young adults, and the Highlands region; cross-correlation revealed an average negative correlation of -.191 at lag 3.
Conclusions:
- Google search trends show a notable correlation with suicide rates in Ecuador.
- Prevention strategies should be tailored, considering demographic variations and specific search term patterns.
- While indicative, these correlations do not imply causation due to data limitations.
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