@article{ref1,
title="The Relationship Between Elderly Suicide Rates and the Internet: A Cross-National Study",
journal="International journal of social psychiatry",
year="2010",
author="Shah, Ajit",
volume="56",
number="3",
pages="214-219",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Suicide rates generally increase with age. Internet websites and chat rooms have been reported both to promote suicides and to have a positive beneficial effect on suicidal individuals. The role of the internet in elderly suicides has not been studied. METHODS: The relationship between elderly suicide rates and the prevalence of internet users was examined in a cross-national study using data from the World Health Organization and the United Nations website. RESULTS: The prevalence of internet users was significantly and positively correlated with suicide rates in both genders in the age bands 65-74 years and 75+ years. On multiple regression analysis the prevalence of internet users was independently associated with suicide rates in both genders in both age bands. CONCLUSION: Caution should be exercised in the attribution of a causal relationship and the direction of this relationship because of the cross-sectional and ecological study design whereby the findings are subject to ecological fallacy. However, the findings identify and support a need for further research.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0020-7640",
doi="10.1177/0020764009105645",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0020764009105645"
}