| The internet and suicide: A double-edged tool. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 17822655 Owner: NLM Status: In-Data-Review |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Many physicians are unaware of the power of the internet. In an era of an empowered public and patients, the internet may be a more powerful determinant of health-seeking behaviour than medical opinion. In the same way, it may provide more information for self-harm than was ever available to the public domain in the past. The internet is effective across cultural and geographical boundaries. In addition to reporting and romanticising suicide, it has a significant impact in assisting and promoting suicide. It provides services and information ranging from general information to online orders of prescription drugs or other poisons that bypass government regulations and custom controls. This bridges the gaps of locality and accessibility, which previously formed a natural divide in selecting the means of suicide. In addition to these negative effects, there is a vast potential to harness these properties to a beneficial effect. The wide acceptance of the internet makes it a powerful tool for recognition of the at-risk individual, for preventing suicide and supporting survivors, with chat rooms taking the place of telephone help lines. In an information age, it is vital for physicians to use all available means of informing and empowering the public and patients. The internet also has a role in training, providing accessible self-help sites for suicidal persons and web-based prevention services, all of which remain sadly under-utilised. The challenge to physicians of the 21st century is to harvest the internet in a beneficial manner. |
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Authors:
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J Tam; W S Tang; D J S Fernando |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Editorial Date: 2007-07-05 |
Journal Detail:
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Title: European journal of internal medicine Volume: 18 ISSN: 0953-6205 ISO Abbreviation: Eur. J. Intern. Med. Publication Date: 2007 Oct |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2007-09-07 Completed Date: - Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 9003220 Medline TA: Eur J Intern Med Country: Netherlands |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 453-5 Citation Subset: - |
Affiliation:
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Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust, Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, NG17 4JL, UK. |
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From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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