Prevalence, Themes, and Partisan Differences in US State Legislator X Posts Mentioning Suicide: Content Analysis

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social Media Analysis
• Political Science

Background:

• Suicide is a significant public health issue in the US, with state policies playing a role in prevention.
• State legislators are active on social media, reflecting their priorities and attitudes on various issues, including suicide.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze US state legislators' social media posts concerning suicide on X (formerly Twitter).
• To explore communication differences regarding suicide between Democrat and Republican legislators.

Main Methods:

• Content analysis of 1,049 X posts mentioning suicide by state legislators between December 2023 and November 2024.
• Assessment of themes related to suicide causes, solutions, and consequences, and alignment with reporting guidelines.
• Statistical analysis (chi-square tests, t-tests) to compare post content and frequency between Democrat and Republican legislators.

Main Results:

• Democrats posted about suicide more frequently than Republicans, though both were infrequent overall (0.1% of posts).
• Posts frequently identified specific populations at risk (youth, veterans, LGBTQ+, firearm owners).
• Democrats were more likely to identify lethal means and solutions for suicide prevention compared to Republicans, who focused less on policy-specific solutions.

Conclusions:

• Significant differences exist in how Democrat and Republican legislators communicate about suicide on social media.
• Findings indicate a need for improved communication and collaboration between suicide prevention experts and state legislators.
• Tailoring communication strategies to political party may enhance engagement and effectiveness in suicide prevention policy discussions.