Papers by Michael Westerlund
Reading books and watching films were investigated as protective factors for serious suicidal ide... more Reading books and watching films were investigated as protective factors for serious suicidal ideation (SSI) in young people with low perceived social belonging. Cross-sectional and longitudinal (12-month) analyses were performed using data from a representative European sample of 3256 students from the "Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe" study. Low
Abstract: The general aim of this study was to review the scientific literature concerning the In... more Abstract: The general aim of this study was to review the scientific literature concerning the Internet and suicidality and to examine the different pathways by which suicidal risks and prevention efforts are facilitated through the Internet. An online literature search was conducted using the MEDLINE and Google Scholar databases. The main themes that were investigated included pathological Internet use and suicidality, pro-suicide websites, suicide pacts on the Internet, and suicide prevention via the Internet. Articles were screened based on the titles and abstracts reporting on the themes of interest. Thereafter, articles were selected based on scientific relevance of the study, and included for full text assessment. The results illustrated that specific Internet pathways increased the risk for suicidal behaviours, particularly in adolescents and young people. Several studies found significant correlations between pathological Internet use and suicidal ideation and non-suicidal s...
International journal of environmental research and public health, 2011
The general aim of this study was to review the scientific literature concerning the Internet and... more The general aim of this study was to review the scientific literature concerning the Internet and suicidality and to examine the different pathways by which suicidal risks and prevention efforts are facilitated through the Internet. An online literature search was conducted using the MEDLINE and Google Scholar databases. The main themes that were investigated included pathological Internet use and suicidality, pro-suicide websites, suicide pacts on the Internet, and suicide prevention via the Internet. Articles were screened based on the titles and abstracts reporting on the themes of interest. Thereafter, articles were selected based on scientific relevance of the study, and included for full text assessment. The results illustrated that specific Internet pathways increased the risk for suicidal behaviours, particularly in adolescents and young people. Several studies found significant correlations between pathological Internet use and suicidal ideation and non-suicidal self-injury...
Crisis
Background: Crisis helplines aim to provide a short-term intervention or guide users to professio... more Background: Crisis helplines aim to provide a short-term intervention or guide users to professional mental health services, but many users return to helplines despite having professional mental health contacts. Aims: To contribute knowledge on users' perspectives on the role of crisis helplines in relation to their professional mental health contacts, we aimed to investigate how online helpline users describe such services. Methods: We used thematic analysis of 100 naturally occurring interactions from a Swedish online crisis helpline. Results: The users viewed the helpline as a safe space, a partner, or an alternative to bad professional services. Users oriented to ongoing helpline usage as crucial for their well-being while they described using professional mental health services to be able to stay alive. Limitations: The findings are limited to the nature of the different themes. Conclusion: The view on crisis helplines as a short-term intervention relies on an idealized view on crisis intervention that does not represent users' views. User control is at the core of the appeal of helplines, but it is also a key challenge for organizations and volunteers.
Studien visar att beredskapen i svenska skolor ar lag nar det galler att upptacka och hjalpa elev... more Studien visar att beredskapen i svenska skolor ar lag nar det galler att upptacka och hjalpa elever som befinner sig i allvarlig psykisk och social nod och darmed riskerar att utfora sjalvmordshand ...
Den digitala kommunikationen pa internet har haft en omvalvande inverkan pa individ och samhalle ... more Den digitala kommunikationen pa internet har haft en omvalvande inverkan pa individ och samhalle och ocksa inneburit att skillnaden mellan den personliga, intima kommunikationen och den offent ...
En brittisk studie visar att det idag ar mycket latt att hitta information om potenta sjalvmordsm... more En brittisk studie visar att det idag ar mycket latt att hitta information om potenta sjalvmordsmetoder pa Internet. Dessutom forekommer uppmaningar och uppmuntran till att fullfolja sjalvmordsplan ...
An overview of research on suicide and the internet, as well as the practical applications of onl... more An overview of research on suicide and the internet, as well as the practical applications of online interventions in suicide prevention efforts is given. The text presents how much material about suicide is available online and what are the contents, with a special focus on pro-suicide and harmful online material and communication, and how people at risk of suicide use the internet. The topic of advantages and dangers of suicide-related material available on social media platforms will be covered. The range and effectiveness of online and web-based crisis interventions are discussed, along with support available online for people bereaved by suicide. The text also presents existing efforts on regulation and legislation in relation to suicide-related websites and content.
With suicide still a taboo subject in contemporary society, websites and discussion forums on the... more With suicide still a taboo subject in contemporary society, websites and discussion forums on the Internet have become an important and controversial source of information. Through the Internet, th ...
OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying
This study examined Swedish suicide bereaved individuals’ use of different resources in their gri... more This study examined Swedish suicide bereaved individuals’ use of different resources in their grief work and how they value these resources. The material consisted of a web-based survey, which was analyzed with quantitative methods. The results showed that the psychosocial ill-health was severe among the suicide bereaved participants and that a majority used digital resources in their grief work. The propensity to engage in online support groups or memorial websites was not predicted by the severity of psychosocial consequences following the suicide. However, multiple regressions showed that higher online support group activity predicted more satisfaction with current psychosocial health, while memorial websites seemed to have the opposite effect. This study not only indicates that some digital resources, for example, online support groups, may be an effective way of coping with grief related to suicide loss, but also suggests that memorial websites may increase rumination and in th...
Crisis, Jan 23, 2017
Since the mid-1990s concerns have been raised regarding the possible links between suicide and th... more Since the mid-1990s concerns have been raised regarding the possible links between suicide and the Internet, especially among adolescents and young adults. To identify the nature and extent of the scientific publications, especially original research studies, on suicide and the Internet, and to investigate how the field has developed over time. In particular, this mapping study looks at types of publications, topic areas, focus of original research papers, and suicide-related variables of interest in publications. A search of three major databases (PubMED, PsycINFO, and Sociological Abstracts) was conducted to identify papers published until the end of January 2015. The study identified 237 publications on suicide and the Internet published from 1997 to the end of January 2015. These included 122 original research papers. The three most frequent topic areas covered in publications were searching for information on suicide, online interventions, and online suicide-related behaviors. ...
JMIR Mental Health, 2016
Background Adolescents and young adults are among the most frequent Internet users, and accumulat... more Background Adolescents and young adults are among the most frequent Internet users, and accumulating evidence suggests that their Internet behaviors might affect their mental health. Internet use may impact mental health because certain Web-based content could be distressing. It is also possible that excessive use, regardless of content, produces negative consequences, such as neglect of protective offline activities. Objective The objective of this study was to assess how mental health is associated with (1) the time spent on the Internet, (2) the time spent on different Web-based activities (social media use, gaming, gambling, pornography use, school work, newsreading, and targeted information searches), and (3) the perceived consequences of engaging in those activities. Methods A random sample of 2286 adolescents was recruited from state schools in Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Questionnaire data comprising Internet behaviors and menta...
Tidskriften For Svensk Psykiatri, 2014
Nordicom Review Nordic Research on Media Communication, 2014
Medicine 2 0 Conference, Apr 9, 2012
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Papers by Michael Westerlund