Designing Microblog Direct Messages to Engage Social Media Users With Suicide Ideation: Interview and Survey Study on Weibo

Abstract

BackgroundWhile Web-based interventions can be efficacious, engaging a target population’s attention remains challenging. We argue that strategies to draw such a population’s attention should be tailored to meet its needs. Increasing user engagement in online suicide intervention development requires feedback from this group to prevent people who have suicide ideation from seeking treatment.ObjectiveThe goal of this study was to solicit feedback on the acceptability of the content of messaging from social media users with suicide ideation. To overcome the common concern of lack of engagement in online interventions and to ensure effective learning from the message, this research employs a customized design of both content and length of the message.MethodsIn study 1, 17 participants suffering from suicide ideation were recruited. The first (n=8) group conversed with a professional suicide intervention doctor about its attitudes and suggestions for a direct message intervention. To ensure the reliability and consistency of the result, an identical interview was conducted for the second group (n=9). Based on the collected data, questionnaires about this intervention were formed. Study 2 recruited 4222 microblog users with suicide ideation via the Internet.ResultsThe results of the group interviews in study 1 yielded little difference regarding the interview results; this difference may relate to the 2 groups’ varied perceptions of direct message design. However, most participants reported that they would be most drawn to an intervention where they knew that the account was reliable. Out of 4222 microblog users, we received responses from 725 with completed questionnaires; 78.62% (570/725) participants were not opposed to online suicide intervention and they valued the link for extra suicide intervention information as long as the account appeared to be trustworthy. Their attitudes toward the intervention and the account were similar to those from study 1, and 3 important elements were found pertaining to the direct message: reliability of account name, brevity of the message, and details of the phone numbers of psychological intervention centers and psychological assessment.ConclusionsThis paper proposed strategies for engaging target populations in online suicide interventions.

Crime and social media

“…This is consistent with the position of Bryan et al (2018) who subsequently found that certain sequences in the content of social media could predict the cause and timeline of death by suicide. The conclusions of Bryan et al (2018) are in line with Tan et al (2017) who reported that whereas web-based interventions can be effective in the prevention of online suicide, it is also imperative to increase user engagement with online information and discussion groups.…”

“…The results of our empirical analyses have significantly improved the narratives in the aforementioned exploratory and country-specific studies in three key ways. First, they complemented the description by Tan et al (2017) and other country-specific studies by confirming the policy relevance of the negative association between social media and crime. This global dimension can lead to the adoption of more holistic policies that are applicable to a 1 The positioning and design of this paper is consistent with the extant recent empirical and theoretical studies on the relevance of information technology in: (i) enhancing conditions for human development (Afutu-Kotey et al, 2017;Bongomin et al, 2018 ;Asongu and Boateng, 2018;Gosavi, 2018;Hubani and Wiese, 2018;Minkoua Nzie et al, 2018;Isszhaku et al, 2018;Abor et al, 2018;Muthinja and Chipeta, 2018;Nwachukwu, 2018a, 2018b)and improving society with opportunities for human emancipation (Kreps and Kimppa, 2015;Tatnall, 2015;Lennerfors et al, 2015;Patrignani and Whitehouse, 2015;Aricat, 2015;Lahtiranta et al, 2015;Tchamyou, 2017Tchamyou, , 2018Tchamyou and Asongu, 2017).…”

“…Noticeably, the foregoing literature has the shortcoming of being too exploratory and countryspecific. For instance, the study by Robinson et al (2017), Tan et al (2017) and Chen et al (2017) were focused on China while, Bryan et al (2018) was concerned with the United States of America. The present study addresses this country-specific shortcoming by employing a global dataset of 148 countries on the one hand and on the other, decomposing the dataset into regions and income levels, in order to increase the policy relevance of the study.…”

Qualitative analysis of UK and USA open mental health Facebook groups for mental health support (Preprint)

“…By sharing personal experiences of their mental illness, Facebook users provided informational and emotional support to other group members that may not be available from the receivers own social network or professionals, in line with previous research [18,19,34]. This form of support may lead to increased feelings of connectedness for the receiver [67,78], and could potentially reduce feelings of social isolation [22][23][24]74], and may offer hope to people using Facebook for their mental illness [76], thus empowering them to seek help or take positive action. From the findings, it was noted that the UK sample tended to show a slightly higher level of self-disclosure.…”

“…Blogging has been found to increase the likelihood of engagement with suicide prevention intervention [67], and to be an effective tool for engaging young people with mental health and substance use intervention programmes [68]. In spite of potential concerns relating to confidentiality and stigmatisation, people are using blogging as a way to reduce stigma through 'defiant disclosure' [69].…”