Citation

Van den Nest M, Till B, Niederkrotenthaler T. Crisis 2019; 40(2): 125-133.

Affiliation

1 Unit Suicide Research & Mental Health Promotion, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Publisher Hogrefe Publishing)

DOI

10.1027/0227-5910/a000540

PMID

30109966

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Little is known about linguistic differences between nonprofessional suicide message boards that differ in regard to their predominant attitude to suicide. AIMS: To compare linguistic indicators potentially related to suicidality between anti-suicide, neutral, and pro-suicide message boards, and between the types of posters (primary posters, who initiate the thread, and the respective respondents).

METHOD: In all, 1,200 threads from seven German-language nonprofessional suicide message boards were analyzed using the software Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) with regard to wording related to suicidal fantasies, aggression, and indicators of so-called suicidal constriction. Data were analyzed with ANOVA.

RESULTS: There were fewer words related to affective, social, cognitive, and communicative processes in pro-suicide message boards than in other boards. Death-related wording and aggression as well as tentative wording appeared more prevalent in pro-suicide boards. LIMITATIONS: Complex language structures cannot be analyzed with LIWC.

CONCLUSION: The results suggest fewer emotion words and wording related to social circumstances among primary posters and respondents in pro-suicide boards as compared with other boards, and a higher use of death- and aggression-related words. These findings might signal a higher degree of suicidality or sheer differences in matters of interest or social desirability. The differences require attention in practice and research.

Language: en

Keywords

Internet; LIWC; message boards; suicidal constriction; suicide