TEENAGE SUICIDAL ACTIVITY AND INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES:REGIONAL ANALYSIS EXPERIENCE

Abstract

Relevance: Suicidal activity of adolescents is very high; in most developed countries of the world, suicide has become
one of the two main causes of death in this age category. One of the possible areas of negative impact on mental health,
increasing the risk of suicide, may be excessive use of information technology.
The purpose of the study is to assess the role of the information environment as a risk factor for suicidal activity of
adolescents in the East Kazakhstan region.
Materials and methods: Continuous transverse analytical with population control study was conducted in 2015-2019.
Based on questionnaires, interviews of specialists with adolescents who have committed serious suicidal attempts, in UstKamenogorsk and Semey, their parents (guardians) and school personnel. A total of 477 suicide attempts were analyzed,
including 321 - in males and 156 - in females, the average age is 16.3 ± 1.1 years. The control group consisted of 500
people with a similar age-sex distribution.
Comparison of the frequency indicators was carried out by applying the Pearson χ
2 criterion, as well as the two-sided
Fisher exact criterion in the presence of limitations of the Pearson criterion. Numerical series were compared using the
Mann-Whitney test.
The results of the study: When analyzing the duration of the use of information technology by respondents, its
significant excess in the main group was revealed. Significant differences in the total use of information systems in the
direction of excess for suicides were identified in all age and gender subgroups and in general. They turned out to be the
most significant in the age group of 14-16 years (RR = 1.55 according to adolescents and RR = 1.49 according to parents)
and in males (RR = 1.23 according to adolescents and RR = 1.29 according to parents). In the group of minors who
committed suicide attempts, the frequency of Internet addiction was significantly higher. These differences appeared in all
age categories and both gender groups. This was most significant at the age of 16-18, when the relative number of
adolescents with Internet addiction in the main group was 74.2% higher. There was an excess of the frequency of visits to
sites and online communities with depressive / suicidal content in the group of teenagers who made suicidal attempts. The
differences were most clearly observed in the age group of 16-18 years. The prevalence of predominant consumption of
potentially suicidal content in the main group was not recorded.
Conclusion:
1. In children and adolescents under the age of 18 who have made serious suicidal attempts, the total duration of using
information systems during the day is exceeded both according to the data of the respondents themselves and their parents
(guardians) in comparison with population control.
2. There were no significant differences in the frequency of consumption of information content with a potentially suicidal
and depressive orientation between the compared groups of suicides and population control.