The Role of Social Media in Adolescents’ Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior

Question: How do online peer experiences affect risk for suicidal behavior among female adolescents?

Strategy: Seventy adolescents identifying as female from the inpatient psychiatric unit at Brown-affiliated Bradley Hospital will participate.  Online peer experiences of adolescents who have attempted suicide will be compared with teen girls with suicidal ideation who have not attempted suicide.  A multi-method assessment that includes qualitative and semi-structured interviews and surveys and social media data will be studied.

Impact: Identification of novel targets for suicide prevention efforts among female adolescents.