Suicide-related internet use (SRIU), defined as internet use related to one's own feelings of suicide, can be both a risk and protective factor, especially for isolated individuals. Despite its influence on suicidality, clinicians face challenges in assessing SRIU because of the private nature of internet usage. Current recommendations on enquiring about SRIU in a clinical setting concern mostly young people.

To address the gap in understanding SRIU among patients of all ages, this study aims to explore mental health clinicians’ experiences, attitudes and beliefs regarding enquiring about SRIU, as well as the risks and benefits it presents in the assessment and management of patients. Finally, the study aims to establish the role SRIU potentially plays in the assessment and management of patients.

Twelve clinicians practising at secondary mental health services in England participated in interviews. Thematic analyses were used for data interpretation.

Clinicians who participated in interviews rarely initiate discussions on SRIU with their patients despite considering this an important factor in suicidality. Age of both patients and clinicians has the potential to influence enquiry into SRIU. Clinicians recognise the potential benefits of patients finding supportive online communities but also express concerns about harmful and low-quality online content related to suicide.

Integrating SRIU enquiry into standard clinical practice, regardless of the patient's age, is an important step towards comprehensive patient care. Broader training for clinicians on enquiring about online behaviours is essential to mitigate potential risks and harness the benefits of SRIU in mental health patients.

Most evidence on suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts comes from Western countries; prevalence rates may differ in other parts of the world.

This study determined the prevalence of suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts in high school students in three different regional settings in Kenya.

This was a cross-sectional study of 2652 high school students. We asked structured questions to determine the prevalence of various types of suicidality, the methods planned or effected, and participants’ gender, age and form (grade level). We provided descriptive statistics, testing significant differences by chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests, and used logistic regression to identify relationships among different variables and their associations with suicidality.

The prevalence rates of suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts were 26.8, 14.9 and 15.7%, respectively. These rates are higher than those reported for Western countries. Some 6.7% of suicide attempts were not associated with plans. The most common method used in suicide attempts was drinking chemicals/poison (18.8%). Rates of suicidal thoughts and plans were higher for older students and students in urban rather than rural locations, and attempts were associated with female gender and higher grade level – especially the final year of high school, when exam performance affects future education and career prospects.

Suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts are prevalent in Kenyan high school students. There is a need for future studies to determine the different starting points to suicidal attempts, particularly for the significant number whose attempts are not preceded by thoughts and plans.

Suicide emerges as a threat to national health of USA with Whites being at extra risk. More information is needed regarding the increased suicide among Whites to improve national suicide prevention strategies. This study aims to characterise the age pattern of suicide among Whites by suicide methods adjusting for time period and birth cohort.

Suicide mortality data by age of 15–84 years during 1999–2017 were derived from the Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiological Research, prepared by US Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Mortality data for three common suicide methods, firearms, suffocation and poisoning were analysed using the age–period–cohort (APC) model. Period–cohort adjusted mortality rates by age were estimated based on results from APC modelling.

Period–cohort adjusted rates indicated that the overall age pattern for males contained five phases, including three increasing phases (ages 15–20, 30–50 and 65+), connected by two declining phases (ages 20–30 and 50–65); and the age pattern for females was a parabolic with an increasing phase from 15 years of age up to 50, followed by a declining phase after age 50. Furthermore, the age pattern for different suicide methods differed substantially for males, but did not for females. Among males, suicide by firearms contained two rapid increasing phases, one during adolescence and another in older ages; suicide by suffocation showed a high plateau across an age span from 20 to 55 years; and suicide by poisoning followed a parabolic, increasing by age up to 45 before it declined. Age patterns revealed by the unadjusted crude rates were biased because of significant linear period effect and W-shaped cohort effect.

This study is the first to quantify the age patterns of suicide by different methods for US Whites using period–cohort adjusted rates. Study findings provide valid evidence supporting precision interventions to reduce the extra suicide mortality among Whites by targeting specific age ranges with different suicide methods.

There is a suicide on the British railways every 36 hours. However, the reasons why people choose to die by train are not well understood.

To explore factors influencing and discouraging the decision to attempt suicide on the railway networks.

We conducted an online survey and qualitative interviews with individuals who had contemplated or attempted suicide by train.

A total of 353 survey responders had considered and 23 had attempted suicide at rail locations (including railways and metro/underground); a third of these cases were impulsive. The most frequently reported motivations for contemplating or attempting suicide were perceptions of quick and certain lethality (54 and 37%, respectively) and easy access to rail settings (33 and 38%, respectively). The main factor discouraging people from rail suicide was its wider impact, especially on train drivers (19%). In qualitative interviews (N = 34) the desire to avoid intervention from others was also a common motivating factor for attempting suicide on the railway networks.

People attempt suicide by train because railway settings are easy to access and because of an inaccurate perception of certain and quick lethality. Tackling exaggerated perceptions of lethality may help reduce suicides by train.

None.