Suicidal crisis in the digital age

Abstract

Suicide is a growing problem around the world. A suicidal crisis is a situation where a person attempts to kill himself/herself or contemplating to do so. The digital age has played a role in increasing suicidal crisis not only because of cyberbullying but also because of the loss of interpersonal connection that can happen as a result of a digitalized society. This situation requires various methods of prevention and intervention to protect people from harming themselves. There is a great need to identify warning signs as early as possible. Prevention factors such as community support or medical or psychiatric intervention can help patients who are heading toward a crisis. We suggest that novel detection methods that leverage everyday technology and are widely accessible should be developed.