Content Analysis of Suicide Expressions in Reddit Before and During the Covid19 Pandemic
Date of Award
12-1-2023
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology, Major in Clinical Psychology
First Advisor
Lota A. Teh, PhD
Abstract
This study used content analysis to examine if the intrapersonal and interpersonal factors of the Hopelessness Theory of Suicidality and the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide exist in suicide expressions in social media, specifically in Reddit. The Hopelessness Theory of Suicidality makes the assumption that from hopelessness, an individual becomes at risk for suicide attempt. The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide explains that suicide behavior results from the development of perceived burdensomeness or being a burden to others and thwarted belongingness as well as the acquired capability for suicide. The study also utilized content analysis to investigate if other suicide factors can be found in the suicide expressions, and to see if there were noticeable changes in the factors of suicide behavior before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Text mining was used to extract comments related to suicide from the SubReddit of SuicideWatch. The extraction and preparation of the comments yielded three data sets that comprised 4,083 sentences. The results showed that the suicide factors of hopelessness from the HT as well as thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and acquired capability from the ITPS exist in suicide expressions in Reddit. Also, eight other suicide factors were found in the suicide expressions; namely: clear suicide plan, Psychache, emboldened decision for suicide, mental health issues, suicide ideation, Adverse Childhood Experiences, suicide of another person, and chronic physical pain. The suicide factors showed noticeable changes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hopelessness and thwarted belongingness were found to be the two most prevalent suicide factors. This implies that these two suicide factors are most likely significant indicators of suicide behavior which affirms the HT and one construct of the IPTS. Other theoretical and practical implications of the main findings about the suicide factors as well as the possible impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide behavior were discussed.
Recommended Citation
Mapua, Dorothy C., (2023). Content Analysis of Suicide Expressions in Reddit Before and During the Covid19 Pandemic. Archīum.ATENEO.
https://archium.ateneo.edu/theses-dissertations/880
