Analysis of Internet Suicide Pacts Reported by the Media in Mainland China.

BACKGROUND In mainland China, frequent Internet suicide pacts in recent years have raised strong concerns from several social sectors and the influence of social networks on suicide is constantly growing. AIMS To identify the epidemiological characteristics of media-reported Internet suicide pacts in mainland China. METHOD Our study comprised 62 Internet suicide pacts involving 159 victims in mainland China before June 1, 2015. Kendall's randomness test, a trend test, and a circular distribution test were applied to identify the rising or concentrated trends in the time of occurrence of Internet suicide pacts. RESULTS The overall male-to-female ratio was 2.3:1. Suicide victims were mainly people in their 20s to 30s (84.1%). In all, 87.1% suicide victims completed suicide in sealed hotels or rental housing, and charcoal-burning suicide accounted for 80.6% of cases. CONCLUSION People who complete suicide as part of an Internet suicide pact are more likely to be males, aged 20-30 years. Charcoal-burning suicide in sealed hotels or rental housing was the commonest way of dying.