Table 3.
Pattern of suicide/self-harm related Internet use according to self-harm history.
| Suicide/self-harm related Internet use, age 21 years | No self-harm N=3127 | Self-harm N=819 | OR [95% CI] | P value ⁎ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any suicide/self-harm related Internet use | 467 (14.9%) | 419 (51.2%) | 5.7 [5.04–7.06] | <0.001 |
| Seen sites/chatrooms discussing suicide/self-harm | 225 (7.2%) | 245 (29.9%) | 5.51 [4.50–6.74] | <0.001 |
| Looked for information about self-harm using search engine | 75 (2.4%) | 248 (30.3%) | 17.7 [13.4–23.2] | <0.001 |
| Looked for information about suicide using search engine | 108 (3.5%) | 188 (23.0%) | 8.33 [6.47–10.7] | <0.001 |
| Used Internet to discuss self-harm or suicidal feelings | 192 (6.1%) | 165 (20.2%) | 3.86 [3.09–4.83] | <0.001 |
| Type of site | ||||
| News reports about people who have hurt or killed themselves | 207 (6.6%) | 220 (26.9%) | 5.18 [4.20–6.39] | <0.001 |
| Personal accounts of people who have hurt themselves | 154 (4.9%) | 204 (24.9%) | 6.40 [5.11–8.03] | <0.001 |
| General information about self-harm or suicide | 182 (5.8%) | 220 (26.9%) | 5.94 [4.79–7.37] | <0.001 |
| Sites dedicated to those who self-harm | 54 (1.7%) | 121 (14.8%) | 9.87 [7.08–3.7] | <0.001 |
| Sites offering help, advice, or support | 125 (4.0%) | 198 (24.2%) | 7.66 [6.02–9.73] | <0.001 |
| Information on how to hurt or kill yourself | 44 (1.4%) | 79 (9.7%) | 7.48 [5.13–10.9] | <0.001 |
⁎
Difference between those with and without a history of self-harm.