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Estimating suicide occurrence statistics using Google Trends
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Kristoufek, Ladislav, Moat, Helen Susannah and Preis, Tobias (2016) Estimating suicide occurrence statistics using Google Trends. EPJ Data Science, 5 (1). 32. doi:10.1140/epjds/s13688-016-0094-0
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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1140/epjds/s13688-016-0094-0
Abstract
Data on the number of people who have committed suicide tends to be reported with a substantial time lag of around two years. We examine whether online activity measured by Google searches can help us improve estimates of the number of suicide occurrences in England before official figures are released. Specifically, we analyse how data on the number of Google searches for the terms ‘depression’ and ‘suicide’ relate to the number of suicides between 2004 and 2013. We find that estimates drawing on Google data are significantly better than estimates using previous suicide data alone. We show that a greater number of searches for the term ‘depression’ is related to fewer suicides, whereas a greater number of searches for the term ‘suicide’ is related to more suicides. Data on suicide related search behaviour can be used to improve current estimates of the number of suicide occurrences.
| Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||
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| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare Z Bibliography. Library Science. Information Resources > ZA Information resources > ZA4050 Electronic information resources |
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| Divisions: | Faculty of Social Sciences > Warwick Business School | ||||||
| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Suicide -- Statistics -- England, Depression, Mental -- Statistics -- England, Internet searching, Google (Firm) | ||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | EPJ Data Science | ||||||
| Publisher: | Springer | ||||||
| ISSN: | 2193-1127 | ||||||
| Official Date: | 8 November 2016 | ||||||
| Dates: |
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| Date of first compliant deposit: | 31 March 2017 | ||||||
| Volume: | 5 | ||||||
| Number: | 1 | ||||||
| Article Number: | 32 | ||||||
| DOI: | 10.1140/epjds/s13688-016-0094-0 | ||||||
| Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||
| Publication Status: | Published | ||||||
| Access rights to Published version: | Open Access | ||||||
| Funder: | Research Councils UK (RCUK), Grantová agentura České republiky [Czech Science Foundation] (AVČR) | ||||||
| Grant number: | EP/K039830/1 (RCUK), 16-00027S (AVČR) |
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