RT journal article
T1 Patterns of media and social media consumption associated with suicidal ideation in Spanish children
A1 Barredo Ibáñez, Daniel
A1 Garcés Prettel, Miguel
A1 Caro Castaño, Lucía
A1 Vega Saldaña, Silvia María
A1 Merchán Clavellino, Ana
A1 Santoya Montes, Yanin
A1 Arroyave Cabrera, Jesús
A2 Marketing y Comunicación
K1 Suicidal ideation
K1 social media
K1 media consumption
K1 children
K1 suicide
AB Child suicide is a critical public health issue in Spain. From 2020 to 2021, the child suicide rate rose by approximately 57%, with 22 children aged 15 or younger taking their own lives in 2021 compared to 14 in 2020. This phenomenon is complex, with psychological, social, and economic factors potentially influencing a young person’s decision to end their life. Among these, some researchers caution that certain media and social media exposures may increase or mitigate suicidal ideation, which remains the key factor to address in preventing child suicide. This study primarily aims to compare differences in suicidal ideation among Spanish children exposed to various types of media and social media content. Specifically, we focus on a) identifying which media formats might be protective or increase risk in this population; and b) identifying factors associated with suicidal ideation related to media and social media use in this age group. In this non-experimental study, we surveyed 804 Spanish children aged 10 to 15 years. Our multivariable models identified three variables consistently associated with higher odds of suicidal ideation: frequent online searches for information about suicide, regularly posting private photos on social media, and regularly viewing contests or reality shows.
PB Nature
SN 2662-9992
YR 2026
FD 2026-01-23
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/39209
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/39209
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 08-nov-2026