@article{ref1,
title="Rethinking Suicide Surveillance: Google Search Data and Self-Reported Suicidality Differentially Estimate Completed Suicide Risk",
journal="Clinical psychological science",
year="2016",
author="Ma-Kellams, C. and Or, F. and Baek, J.H. and Kawachi, I.",
volume="4",
number="3",
pages="480-484",
abstract="Google search data have become an increasingly relied-on source of health information with a dual function as both a facilitative and a preventative resource. We tested the power of Google to predict suicide by comparing searches for explicitly suicidal terms with conventional measures of self-reported suicide risk in estimating completed suicides. In addition, we examined the extent to which discrepancies between Google-based and self-report-based estimates of suicide risk and completed suicide were asymmetrical across social-group lines. Relative to traditional self-reported measures of suicide risk, Google search data better estimated completed suicides. Furthermore, misestimation of suicidal risk was asymmetrical for both measures: Greater misestimation was likely in states with higher percentages of racial minorities and lower levels of socioeconomic status. Google search data can inform suicide-prevention efforts at the state level and suicide surveillance aimed at specific demographic groups. © The Author(s) 2015 Reprints and permissions.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2167-7026",
doi="10.1177/2167702615593475",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2167702615593475"
}