JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Various videos relating to suicide are available on YouTube, but their characteristics and impacts have seldom been examined.

Objective:

This study aimed to examine what YouTube videos were posted in response to a sudden spate of student suicides in Hong Kong during the 2015/16 school year, and evaluate those videos’ impacts.

Methods:

Keyword search was performed on YouTube and relevant videos were identified. The videos’ typology was examined through content analysis, specifically grouping the videos by who uploaded those videos, what presentation formats were used in those videos, whether the videos were originally created by the uploaders, and whether the videos disclosed the uploaders’ personal experiences with suicide. The videos’ impacts were assessed in terms of reach (measured by view count), engagement (measured by comment count), and insights (measured as to what extent the comments to each video could reveal personal suicide risk and attitude towards help seeking). Statistical analysis was conducted to compare the impacts of different types of videos. The seven most impactful videos that were originally created by the YouTubers were selected for further analysis. They were compared with seven videos uploaded by the same YouTubers right before the student suicide videos and seven right after the student suicide videos. The comparison focused on their impacts and the network structure of the comments to those videos.

Results:

162 relevant YouTube videos were identified. They were uploaded by seven types of stakeholders, and the most common format was one person talking to the camera. 87% of the videos were originally created by the uploaders and only 8% of the videos disclosed the uploaders’ personal experiences with suicide. The uploaders’ profile being popular or top YouTubers and the video containing disclosure of the uploader’s personal experiences were found to be significantly correlated with greater impacts (p < .001). Focusing on the seven most impactful original videos, it is found that those videos generated more engagement, especially more interactions between the viewers, and more insights than regular videos uploaded by the same YouTubers.

Conclusions:

When responding to youth suicide crisis, videos made by key opinion leaders (KOLs) on YouTube sharing their own experiences of overcoming suicide risks could generate significant positive impacts. These types of videos offers a precious opportunity to craft online campaigns and activities to raise suicide prevention awareness and engage vulnerable youth.